


The Love That We Stole

by interwebconvos



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: M/M, Self Harm, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-21
Updated: 2017-06-17
Packaged: 2018-10-16 09:40:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 23,964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10568664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/interwebconvos/pseuds/interwebconvos
Summary: *I changed the title. It used to just be Soulmate fic, but that's such a boring title...*This is a soulmates fic from Affair Era. Robert finds writing on his arm one day from random notes Aaron leaves on himself. It's not going along fully with the original story, I've taken out the home farm robbery, and a few things else that will happen. But the end result will still be similar, so c'est la vie.





	1. Part One

**Author's Note:**

> I started this story a whiiiiile ago, but never really did anything with it, so I wanted to see if anyone liked it so far (there's not much to go on), and if I should continue it??  
> It's from before Rob and Aaron were together, pre-affair.

Part 1: Aaron Dingle

Aaron staggered into work at half past nine, half an hour late. He looked like a mess, his overalls were half done up, his hair hadn't been cleaned in a couple of days, and he held a much needed Americano. He and Adam had gone out the night before, Aaron wasn't really on the pull, but they had gone to Bar West for a look around and some pool, but they ended up staying out much later than the pair had planned.  
“Oi, good morning sleepy head, are you actually going to do any work today!” Cain called, sticking his head out from under a car hood as Aaron walked up the driveway.  
“Do one,” Aaron responded grumpily, downing his drink.  
“For that you get to finish this by yourself while I take a long lunch,” Cain said throwing down his wrench. Aaron rolled his eyes and walked over to the car to start on it. “I hope you had a good night,” he added sarcastically.  
At the end of the drive Cain called back, “And don't forget to call Home Farm, some twat called and said he needed to make an appointment about his car.”  
Aaron nodded, still too groggy to pay full attention. He walked over to the office and picked up a marker and scribbled “call twat” on his forearm so he would remember for later when he was more aware.  
Aaron looked down at his arm for a moment, seeing it otherwise unmarked. He thought about his uncle Cain and Moira, and how sometimes they would write each other notes during the middle of the day—Cain would go from being grumpy to being less-grumpy. He also thought of Paddy and Rhona, and how sometimes when they were out getting a pint Paddy would write Rhona a sloppy, drunk love letter, and then Rhona would respond back after calling him soft or some other funny remark.  
His arm on the other hand felt bare. He would write himself reminders like this one sometimes, because he knew anything would go unanswered. When he was younger he had heard about it, but was too afraid to try it out, he was worried his words would show up on a bloke he knew and then everyone would know his secret.  
He told people he was copying his mother though, she was avoiding writing anything because she was hoping finding her soulmate would be a surprise. Aaron knew this was a lie, because his mother hated surprises and secrets, and most likely she was just afraid he was going to be just another dud she'd be stuck with.  
To be honest Aaron was a little worried that whoever he was supposed to be with was also a dud, or worse—dead. He spent a lot of time worried that Jackson had been his soulmate, and he had just let him slip through his fingers. But then Aaron was still afraid of people finding out, and then once they had he didn't even think to test it out. Maybe their words would have showed up on each other, who knows, he certainly never will.  
He rolled down his sleeves, pushing out the intrusive idea that maybe his words just didn't appear on anyone's body. Instead he went to work before Cain would return and get so angry that even Moira's lunch time not wouldn't cheer him up.

Robert Sugden

Robert rolled up his sleeves on his break, looking down at the written words on his arm.  
He was a little annoyed actually. A little while ago when the notes just started appearing he thought it was cute, they were just little reminders to buy milk, or to call his mom. But then things like “Adam's a dick” and “call twat” started to appear. Admittedly it was pretty funny, but it wasn't exactly business appropriate. And it was really hard having to hide it from Chrissie. He couldn't exactly show her, she would know immediately that she wasn't his soulmate, she never has anything written on her arms. Robert himself hated writing on his arms, he liked looking clean and fresh as much as possible.

That evening Robert was in the kitchen, after spending the afternoon in a boring meeting with his future father-in-law, and he was getting ready to cook some dinner. He rolled his sleeves up again, seeing the words “call twat” still there and wondering to himself who this twat was, and why this girl needed to remember to write it down so much that they wrote it on their arm. Didn't the girl who was meant to be his soulmate also believe in soulmates? Perhaps she didn't considering he himself had never written anything.  
When he was younger he was worried that his soulmate was someone in this village and he'd be stuck here forever. He wanted so much more than this place, it was still a wonder to him that he had somehow ended up back here. Only now, he worried that whoever it was wasn't as well off as Chrissie is. He had worked so hard during his time away, starting with nothing and working himself up in Lawrence's company, and in Chrissie's life. It was a strange feeling knowing that none of his relationship was really real. Chrissie may not believe in soulmates, but the proof on his arm made Rob believe in them. Not that that meant he would act on it... he had cheated before in the past, but that didn't mean he would now, whoever this person was, they weren't worth the hard work he had put in.  
Chrissie walked in with Lachlan in toe. She placed her keys and her purse on the counter with a sigh. “The car is acting up again,” she said. Behind her Lachlan wondered off, the useless child was playing video games or whatever on his phone. He and Robert never really got on, at the moment they weren't at odds or anything, they just didn't particularly warm to each other.  
Robert rolled his sleeve down slightly to cover up the writing, it began to itch as he did this, but he didn't have time to look to see what had changed before Chrissie might notice. He then bent down to the fridge, pulling things out for dinner. “I know, I called the garage this morning, they said they'd call back about it,” he responded.  
“What will calling do about it?” Chrissie asked, “No, I took it in. One of them, the younger only slightly-grumpy one, said it would be fixed in an hour.”  
“Oh, that's good. I'll go get us some take out from the Woolpack, I don't really feel like cooking any more. Then I can go pick it up while I'm down there.”  
Chrissie smiled out of one side of her mouth, slyly, “You just want to go get a couple of drinks in don't you,” she teased. “Let me just change, I'll go with you.”  
“No, that's alright,” Rob said. “I want to go talk to Victoria for a bit, I don't want to make you sit on your own.” He kissed Chrissie on the top of her head and took his apron off. “I'll be back in a bit, don't worry.” And before she could complain Robert was off.  
He left the front door and rolled his arm up in curiosity. At first he thought there was nothing new, there were no new notes or reminders. But then he noticed that “call twat” had been crossed off. Hopefully it was a coincidence that he was waiting on a call that had now been taken care of by his fiancee's garage visit? Surely it was considering the amount of people that make phone calls throughout the day.  
It took Rob a surprising amount of time to find a pen in his car. For someone who was in a lot of meetings you would think he'd have more pens at hand. He pulled over on a lay-by and searched around until he found on in the passenger's glove compartment.  
He pulled off the cap and paused for a moment. For the past couple decades he'd thought about this moment when he would finally write something to his soulmate, ever since he was a young boy and Andy told him about finding some mysterious writing on his arm from a girl named Katie. He wanted that too, to be able to communicate no matter how far apart, and to just instantly know who your true soulmate was. Of course, now that he's found out he actually has a soulmate it's come at the worst timing. For a while now he's tried his hardest to push down the feeling to respond and find this person. But his curiosity was just getting the best of him.  
“Phone call go well?” he wrote underneath the other's reminder “call twat”. And then he immediately threw the pen across the car, pulled his sleeve down and just drove. He had the sense of mind to want to just rub it right off, but he was too scared now that he had actually written something to do anything further. It was too late now, whoever was on the other end now knew he existed. That both excited Rob and terrified him, so all he could do was drive.


	2. Part One

 

Robert

Rob didn't know where he had ended up before he had to turn back. He could only be gone for too long before Chrissie would wonder where the f he had gotten to.  
He made a u-turn and headed for the woolpack. As he parked the car, he stumbled out like he always did. He arm began to tingle as he walked in the door. He got an excited little jump in his chest, wanting to immediately roll up his sleeve and see what they had responded. But instead he ignored it as he saw his sister standing behind the bar. “Did you get my text?” he asked, leaning against the bar.  
“Yes, Marlon is in the back making it right now,” she said pouring a pint for some guy. Robert couldn't remember his name, but he recognized him as one of the Dingle's. Chas's son, he believed. He had only seen him in passing before, but now that he was up close Rob couldn't believe how good he smelled for a grease monkey. He was shorter than Robert by almost a foot, and was wearing a black zip up hoodie, a pair of black jeans, and a pen tucked behind his ear.  
“Who's that?” Robert asked his sister once the Dingle had walked away back to a table with another rowdy younger man.  
“That's just Aaron, why?” Victoria answered, grabbing a glass to pour her brother a drink.  
“No reason,” Robert quickly said, turning around and leaning his back against the bar. He wanted to get a good glance at this Aaron. He wasn't exactly hard on the eyes. “He, uh--I think he was working on my fiancee's car.”  
“Probably, he works over at the garage with Cain, and Dan.” The less-grumpy one that isn't Cain. That's what Chrissie had said.  
“Aaron?” Robert called out. The younger man turned his head, glass still to his lips. He swallowed and called back, “Yeah? Wha-do you want?” His brow was furrowed and he had a defensive look on his face.  
“My fiance told me you were working on our car.”  
“Yeah,” Aaron's face adjusted, loosening itself out. “It's at the garage. Cain's over there,” he said, cocking his head in the direction of the garage. Robert nodded a thanks, and turned back around.  
Robert sat down at the end of the bar, angling himself to look over at Aaron. He and the other guy had bought a couple rounds to drink, but seemed to be finishing up soon.  
“Here's your food,” Marlon said to Robert, passing over a to-go bag filled with hot food. “Your wife send you out for fetching then, did she,” he said with a smirk to himself. Robert was only half listening, his head still facing Aaron, a new level of intrigue toward the younger man as he down his drink, laughing with his friend.  
“At least I have a wife,” he told Marlon, who was left with a bruise ego as Robert headed out of the pub back home.

Robert walked into the kitchen, back at Home Farm. Chrissie was sitting on the other side of the table on her laptop. Her fingers moved over the the keyboard as she worked silently. She looked up briefly to acknowledge Robert. “How did the car go?”  
Robert lied, “It wasn't done when I went to go check on it, so I told Cain I would pick it up tomorrow.” He had forgotten about it after he had gotten the food. Didn't really matter though, they had enough cars that Chrissie would deal for one day. She just nodded and went back to work.  
Robert wandered over to the cupboard and pulled out plates for his pseudo family. As he reached up to the top shelf his shirt sleeve slipped down a titch and he remember that he never checked what his pen pal's reply was. He peeked over his shoulder to make sure that Chrissie was still engrossed in her work before he pushed his sleeve up the rest of the way.  
“Never made it. I'm sure he continued to be a twat though.” The other had written.  
Robert smirked to himself. He wanted to write back but didn't have a pen in sight. He went on plating the food instead. He looked back over at his fiancee as he did this, she was gorgeous as hell. She had curled her hair that day, and her dress she was wearing hugged her in all the right places. A few months ago he would have been dying to marry her. She was strong, and she was powerful, and she was incredible. But now the only reason he wanted to stay here was because of the money. He knew he still loved her, but knowing there was someone else out there...  
Robert took one of the plates and put it on the table in front of her, and began walking away upstairs. “Aren't you going to eat with me?” she asked, looking up from her screen. The light reflected back up at her face, making her glow and look like a luminescent angel. Robert shook his head back to her, “I don't feel very well. Maybe I'll have some later.”  
“Are you alright?” she asked, looking concerned.  
“Yeah, I'm fine,” Robert responded. He leaned on the banister, putting his hands in his pockets. His arm itched again and he wanted to run out of the room. “I think it's just been a long day, I'm going to rest. I'll send Lucky down to eat.”  
“Do you want to take the day off tomorrow? We could take it easy, maybe go for a stroll, or go out of town for a bit?” she offered, pushing her computer away. She got up from the table and walked over to him. She placed both her hands on his upper-arms, and reached up to kiss him on the forehead.  
Robert smiled briefly, and nodded. “Sounds nice,” he responded, and turned to head upstairs. He wandered into one of the empty spare guest rooms wanting a bit of privacy for the night.

Aaron

Aaron sat in his bedroom after several rounds of drinks with Adam. Adam had gone home an hour ago, after ditching Aaron to flirt with Victoria at the bar. Aaron called it a night, tired of drinking alone. His arm had begun to itch during the last round anyway, and he had grown quite curious. He had already run to the bogs twice to write a couple of messages, and he was worried if he did again Adam would notice—well, if he could take his eyes off of Vic for long enough.  
Earlier that day his mystery fella had asked about the twat he was supposed to call. Aaron told the mystery man that he hadn't had to call him anyway in the end—which saved Aaron a headache, or at least he had thought. Oddly enough Robert Sugden had soon after arrived at the Woolpack. He was the particular twat that Cain had been referring to.  
After the first message the other man had taken too long to respond—at least too long for drunken standards—so Aaron continued to write more. “Getting pissed now. What were you up to today?” Aaron asked. It wasn't a particularly good opening line, but Aaron had never been good at this kind of thing. He actually half expected the other guy not to answer. Was it possible to bore your soulmate out of loving you? Because it was possible that Aaron was capable of doing that.  
He was staring up at the ceiling when he realized that he had an unanswered message waiting for him actually. It somehow amazed him that he was getting responses at all. For months he had been just writing stupid stuff on his arms. Doodles and little notes, and now he just had this door opened up for him.  
“Wishing I was pissed. Currently I'm just trying to avoid most of my family.” Aaron rolled over in his bed, trying to keep his cool.  
“Family's suck, you don't have to tell me that,” he responded, thinking about his mom and dad. He mom was trying, for sure, and she was so much better than she used to be. But if anyone knew how much families sucked, it was Aaron.

The mystery man and Aaron continued to talk late into the night, writing little notes back and forth. They both used up their arms pretty quickly. They tried rubbing it off, but realized that it took more effort than they thought, and so they began writing on other sections of their bodies—down their sides, across their stomachs, down their legs. It was strange seeing himself covered in so much ink, almost as if he was covered in tattoos. At one point during a lull in their conversation Aaron felt a tingle on his foot, he looked down and saw that the other man had just began doodling a little puppy dog. “Cute.” Aaron responded back. The other man didn't say anything, but put a little heart next to what Aaron had written.  
Aaron was a little surprised to see the little heart drawn there, but he wanted it to stay there as long as possible.  
A moment later, Aaron felt a tingling again, and across the inside of his foot the other man had said he needed to go to sleep. “Goodnight,” Aaron answered back, adding a similar heart at the end of the word, before rolling over in bed and turning out his light.

The next day he walked into work on time, and a small smile on his face.  
“Someone's taken their happy pills this morning,” Cain noted, coffee in hand, holding out a second cup for Aaron.  
Aaron shrugged to Cain. “I'm just happy this morning I suppose.”  
“Does it have anything to do with that writing on your arm there?” Cain asked, unnecessarily curious. Cain smirked, knowing that he had caught Aaron. It was a happiness that Cain had known all too well from the amount of times he and Moira had chatted through their soulmate link. “Who is he?” he asked.  
Aaron shrugged, “No clue. Haven't found him yet.” Aaron became a bit bummed thinking about it actually. Cain and Moira were together and happy, they got to be around each other and being able to send each other messages was just an added bonus. It had been their little secret thing when they started their affair when Moira was still with John. But Aaron didn't get to have that, he didn't even know his guy's name. How would he ever find him. “I don't really know much about him, he could be anywhere.”  
Cain looked confused. “Do you not know much about soulmates?” he asked. “You have to be in the same town for the bond to work initially. You've already met him.”  
“What? That's not possible. The only gay bloke I know is... Finn Barton.” Aaron groaned loudly as Cain broke out into laughter. “That can't even be right... I've had Finn, he is not nearly my type at all.”  
“Just imagine it though, he'll definitely be the little misses, cooking and cleaning for you. And your wedding will be well fashionable,” Cain said, holding a hand up to his chest, doubling over with laughter.  
Aaron just stood and watching his uncle, wanting nothing more than to knock his teeth in. “This can't be right.”  
“Do you want the day off, go prepare a picnic for the two of you?” Cain suggested.  
“If you keep laughing I just might take you up on that.”  
“Well, before you do, can you take this car back to that blond twat. I told his missus we'd drive it home for her.”  
“Thanks, Cain, cheers. That's all I need, to go see Robert flaming Sugden.”  
Cain held out the keys for Aaron to take. “At least it'll give you something to take your mind off your future husband.”  
“Please don't call him that. And don't tell anyone,” Aaron asked, shaking his head as he took the keys and walked over to the car. He drove off in a huff, there was no way that Finn Barton was the one writing all these messages.

Aaron arrived up at Home Farm a few minutes later. There were several cars in the drive way, it seemed they had some guests over. Aaron immediately worried he had caught them at a bad time and he didn't want to ruin the fun. He was almost tempted to just leave the car and walk away, but then the front door opened.  
For a moment Aaron couldn't believe his eyes as Finn stood in the doorway, waiting for Aaron to walk up. “Hey Aaron,” he said with a big smile on his face.  
Aaron nodded at him with a grunt. “What are you doing here?”  
“Just up for a visit, Robert and I were just talking about DeathNote,” Finn said. Aaron nodded, pretending he had any idea what Finn was referring to.  
“Is Sugden around, or Chrissie?” Aaron asked, pointing back over his shoulder at the car. “I've got their car back for them.”  
Robert appeared behind Finn, a drink in hand for both of them. “Aaron,” he said nodding. He was dressed head to toe like a prat. He was wearing a ridiculous floral printed shirt, and a pair of smart trouser pants. If that's how he dressed to hang out with Finn, it was a wonder to see him when he wasn't being casual.  
“Your car,” Aaron said, holding up the keys.  
“Ah yes,” Robert said, handing both of the glasses to Finn. “Come in.”  
Aaron followed the pair who headed into the kitchen. “Aaron, would you like to join us as we re-read amazing manga, and watch some Anime?” Finn offered as he hovered between Aaron and Robert.  
Aaron stared at Finn like he had three heads. Why the heck would he ever want to do that, “No,” he said, not even the littlest bit politely. Robert stifled a laugh as he walked over to the counter where an envelope sat waiting for Aaron.  
“Here,” Robert said, handing the envelope over to Aaron so that he could run away and be free from the longing stare of Finn.  
Aaron looked down at Robert's arm as he handed the envelope over to Aaron, the edge of his sleeve had slid up and Aaron noticed a few letters of writing on his wrist. “You and Chrissie?” Aaron asked, noting the writing. Aaron shook his head, he couldn't believe that everyone's soulmates were actually people they were with, while his was Finn Barton.  
Robert nodded and said quickly, “Yep. Chrissie.” Aaron eyed his oddly, and just took the envelope. “So, how do you two know each other.”  
“We're friends with your sister,” Aaron said, obviously.  
“And well, one time we... you know.”  
Aaron refused to comment. He did not want to acknowledge that time ever again, especially now when potentially he would have to deal with that prospect of that happening again.  
“You two?” Robert asked, leaning against the counter, and crossing his arms against his chest. He looked a little too interested.  
“Yes, last year,” Finn confirmed.  
Aaron continued not hate this conversation. “It ended immediately. Nothing happened might I remind you,” he said tensely.  
Robert's eyebrows raised. He chuckled a bit at Aaron, “Didn't picture you to be, well, you know...”  
“Gay?” Aaron asked, cocking his head toward Robert. Robert nodded. “Well, I didn't know you were the judge of it.”  
That shut Robert up real quickly. His smug smile wiped off his face immediately, and he scuffled his feet awkwardly. “Well, thanks for this,” Aaron said, backing out of the room.  
“Nice to see you,” Finn said as Aaron left.  
“Yes, sure, bye Finn,” Aaron said before his distinctly stormed out, leaving Robert flaming Sugden behind.


	3. Part Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who continues to say nice things in the comments :) I much appreciate it. 
> 
> This chapter's just a mixture of a few scenes that already exist, but in a different arrangement essentially. Hope you enjoy :)

Aaron

Aaron woke up to a strange sensation all over his body. He opened his eyes one at a time, adjusting to the light coming into his dark room. He had painted it a dark colour for a reason, light bothered him. Perpetual darkness was where he had been his whole life, might as well make his room the same colour and save the world some time.  
He reached up and rubbed his eyes as he stretched out his legs, awaking to a new day. As he began more and more awake he recognized the feeling as the same itch he'd been having the past few days. He reached down and rolled his sleeve up, finding nothing. He sat up in a panic, pulling up his shirt and seeing nothing but old scars. All the messages were gone, the long midnight discussions just erased as if they had never existed.  
Aaron rolled over and grabbed the marker sitting on his bedside table. “What happened?” he scribbled in the crook of his arm.  
A few moments later an answered appeared, “I had to shower.”  
Aaron did't say anything. He was a little bit disappointed that they couldn't have kept the conversation a little bit longer. It gave him a bit of comfort to see the words there, even if it was all most likely from Finn Barton.  
“I have someone. And they can't see all that stuff,” the other man added after a moment. Aaron's heart dropped to his stomach. It was something he hadn't expected, for his soulmate to be with someone. He hadn't really expected him to have been alone forever, considering Aaron had previously had two serious relationships with Jackson and Ed, but if he had been with someone currently he probably would have left them by now... why wouldn't they want to come find him?  
Aaron picked up his phone, and texted Finn, “Do you want to get a drink?”  
Finn answered back instantly, “Yes. I'll be at the bar in five.”  
If it was Finn, he was going to have to get used to him. And he was going to have to convince him he was better than this other guy, whoever he was.

Aaron waltzed into the bar wearing a similar hoodie and jean combination he always did, if he had to dress up for Finn then they weren't meant to be together anyway. Finn was waiting at the bar, two drinks already sitting in front of him. There was something that felt a little off about the situation as it was, Finn felt a little too eager. Though that wasn't actually all that different than usual now that Aaron thought about it.  
“So, uh, how have you been?” Aaron asked once they settled into one of the booths. The bar was fairly empty, it wasn't quite dinner time yet. The only other people in the bar were Diane manning the bar, and Robert who was sitting on a stool on the other side of the room, closest to the door.  
“I've been good, I was a little surprised that you texted,” Finn said, nervously tapping on the side of his cup.  
“Yeah, I just, uh, thought a drink would be nice,” Aaron said, distracted. He kept subconsciously looking past Finn, curious as to what Robert was doing just sitting at the bar.  
“I saw you yesterday, and then today...” Finn continued.  
“Yesterday was a coincidence. I was dropping off a car,” I said casually. “But I guess, I just thought since I saw you yesterday we should probably hang out more.”  
“Sure, I would like that,” Aaron said, slightly distracted. Robert was talking to Diane about some fight he and Chrissie had had, and Aaron found himself curious.  
“Did you want to invite them over?” Finn asked, apparently noticing his gaze.  
“Who, Robert? No thanks, that guy's a prat,” Aaron muttered turning away. He turned slightly red at the fact that Finn had caught him staring.  
A few moments later Robert got up and left. He downed the rest of his pint and gave Diane some excuse to leave, and then out of the corner of his eye Aaron watched him leave.  
“Did you shower today? You smell good,” Aaron asked, getting back to Finn.  
“Um, not today, no,” Finn said, furrowing his brow. Aaron could admit it was a weird question, but it was also sort of a compliment.  
“Do you doodle?” Aaron asked again, rapidly, “What would you doodle if you like to doodle?”  
“Uh?” Finn looked confused. He looked even more confused. “Doodle? I mean, occasionally I do, When Eric's being a bore.”  
“I just meant, um, because you and Robert were looking at those Anime things? Isn't that drawing stuff?” Aaron asked, redirecting. If he said anything more he might sound crazy. Again, something about this situation wasn't adding up. Aaron just sat back for a second, and casually sipped the rest of his drink in silence. “I'll get the next round,” he asked, awkwardly getting up and heading over to the bar.  
There was a buzz in Aaron's pocket, he pulled out his phone and read there was a message from an unknown number:  
“Aaron—it's Robert, car broke down again. Come fix it?”  
Aaron shoved his phone back in his phone and turned back to Finn. “Sorry, I've got to run again, I got a call out.”  
“I thought it was your day off?”  
“It's an emergency. We'll have to do this again sometime,” Aaron said quickly, and then ran as casually as he could out the back toward his car. He didn't want to look like he was in a hurry, but to be honest, there was something about that prat that made him want to hurry to his rescue.

Robert

Robert sat the bar after walking out on Chrissie and Leyla. He was just getting measured, but of course Chrissie had to make a big deal about it. He can't do anything without be accused of cheating. Sure, he has form; and sure, he currently had been chatting with some random person that is theoretically his soul mate. But, that didn't mean he was actually going to cheat. Especially not with the somewhat good looking mechanic who had just walked into the pub for a date with...Finn Barton?  
Aaron was dressed terribly for the occasion—if that were in fact the occasion. The stupid look on Barton's face made it look like he thought it was a date at least. There's nothing bad about looking smart sometimes.  
Diane came over with a pint for him, and leaned against the bar, waiting for him to talk.  
“It's nothing, Diane,” he assured her. “Just a little argument.”  
“Do you want to talk about it?” she asked. “Chrissie's great for you, you know?”  
“Of course I know,” Robert agreed, it was the whole reason he was still with her. He was very anxious with the amount of writing still on his arm. He scrubbed as hard as he could this morning in the shower, there was so much writing all over his body. He had tried to procrastinate washing it off, but it had been on almost an entire day, and Chrissie was probably going to expect him to take off at least one of his several layers of clothing at some point soon. If he rolled up his sleeve currently even a little bit right now everyone would just know.  
“What happened?” she asked, while she held up a bag of crisps offering them to him. Considering he hadn't eaten yet, and he wasn't sure if he would be invited back for dinner, he took them.  
Robert watched Aaron out of the corner of his eye, Robert knew he had offended Aaron quite a bit yesterday, and he couldn't help but notice the glares he was getting from the Dingle.  
“Nothing, just Chrissie took a huff at Leyla helping out with the wedding. She got all jealous because we were talking too much or something,” Robert explained, rolling his eyes.  
Diane nodded her head, “Hmm, sounds like you should go buy some flowers pet. Flowers always make women feel a bit better.”  
Robert sighed and shrugged. He began to overhear some of Aaron and Finn's conversation:  
“Did you want to invite them over?” Finn asked, apparently noticing his gaze.  
“Who, Robert? No thanks, that guy's a prat,” Aaron muttered turning away.  
Robert wasn't overly surprised, it basically confirmed what he had been thinking, that Aaron was still upset. Robert knew he wasn't well liked by most people in the town, and technically this time it was actually all his fault—though Aaron had actually seemed like he had a biased disliking toward Aaron since before they had met—this was not unfamiliar to most people, again. He hadn't been the nicest guy before he left the small town the last time he left, which is precisely why he didn't want to come back here. But now because of Lawrence's business, and this stupid soulmate bond, he was stuck here in this ridiculously small village. The latter reasoning was out of shear curiosity than anything else.  
Robert got up and downed the rest of his drink, and then walked out of the pub, noting a quick goodbye to Diane. He didn't really feel like wallowing in the bar all evening, especially when Aaron was going to be glaring at him the whole evening.  
Chrissie was mad at him, and now Aaron was mad at him... there had to be something he could do to fix one of those.  
Robert began to drive as fast as he could around the village, trying to clear his head. He ended up outside of the village, stopping on the side of a lay by, somewhere with the only possible place for peace and quiet.  
He sat on the hood of his car, holding his phone in his hand, scrolling through his phone contact book. He stopped a few numbers down—Vic had given him Aaron's number in case his car broke down again. Before he knew it he had typed the texted out:  
“Aaron—it's Robert, car broke down again. Come fix it?”

Aaron never responded, but five minutes later, just when Robert had almost decided he would leave, Aaron's car pulled up.  
“What's wrong with it?” he snipped.  
“Dunno, it just cut out,” Robert shrugged. He was still sitting on the hood of the car, watching Aaron walk up to him. He still had a chip on his shoulder, Robert noticed. He walked up to Robert and the car and immediately crossed his arms, and stared down at Robert—the only time he was able to considering Robert was a head taller than Aaron.  
“Just cut out? Pop the hood,” Aaron said rolling up his sleeves.  
Robert did as he was told and Aaron lifted the hood up and peered underneath at the engine. Robert stood beside him, peering over his shoulder. Robert knew exactly what to do (if there had been an actual problem with the car), but he almost enjoyed watching Aaron investigate. “Did I ruin your date?”  
“Wasn't a date,” Aaron said. “Just a drink.”  
“Are you sure? Finn said it was a date before you arrived. Said you texted him asking for a drink,” Robert commented.  
“So what if I did? Or does that defy your stereotypes too?” Aaron snipped.  
Robert stepped back. “Are you upset at what I said yesterday still?” Robert asked, Aaron did not respond. “I'm sorry,” he said quietly.  
Aaron shook his head, and stood up straight. “There's nothing wrong. With the car.”  
“Oh,” Robert said, he couldn't really come up with an excuse. “There was.”  
“Yeah? That's how you were able to pull off to the side?” Aaron asked, tilting his head. Aaron dropped the hood and began to walk back to his car.  
“So are you and Finn going out then?” Robert asked, calling after Aaron.  
“I don't really think that's any of your business, is it?” Aaron stopped and turned back to look at Robert.  
“No, it's not, sorry again.”  
“You keep saying sorry here. Why don't you say sorry for wasting my time next? What am I even doing here?” Aaron asked aggressively.  
“You know,” Robert said softly.  
“No, Robert I don't know?” Aaron said, huffing. “You're sitting in a bar staring at Finn and I while we have a drink. How did you even get my number? You text me out of the blue, to come fix a car that works perfectly fine.”  
“Victoria gave it to me,” Robert replied.  
“What do you even want?” Aaron asked, shaking his head. Robert didn't know how to respond. They both knew what he wanted, but Robert didn't have the guts to say it.  
Aaron began to walk away, almost reaching his car, when Robert took a step toward him. Before he knew it, Robert had crossed the distance between the two men and he was right behind Aaron. He slammed Aaron's open door shut and spun Aaron around, and kissed him as hard as he could.  
When they came up for air Robert said, “You. You know what I wanted.”  
They continued to kiss, and Aaron pushed Robert back a few steps toward the back seat of his car, and opened the back door. Robert willingly went in, still kissing as they both began to lay down. Aaron reached for the buttons on Robert's shirt and started to undo them when he realized that he still had the writing on his arm. Aaron had known that there was writing there, he had seen it the other day, but he had assumed it was from Chrissie, but this time it blatantly said that he had someone else. If Aaron saw that, he would know that it wasn't directed at Chrissie. He'd know he was cheating twice now, and if both of these things somehow got back to Chrissie it would become much more of a mess than it already was. He needed to wash this off before he could let Aaron see him naked.  
“No,” he muttered between kisses.  
“No?” Aaron asked, pushing away from him.  
“I can't do this right now,” Robert said, getting up off Aaron and out of the back of his car. “I've got to go.” And before he could say anything else, Robert had run back to his car and driven off back to Home Farm, leaving Aaron behind in the dust.


	4. Part Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this bit took a little longer to make. I didn't have much time this week. Hopefully I will have the next bit out a little sooner.

Robert 

A few days later Robert began to feel rather guilty. He had made up with Chrissie, several times over, but still there was a pinging thought in the back of his head that he wanted more. That rush from stopping his car on the lay-by and seeing Aaron pull up, it was driving him mad not to have that feeling back again. Not only that but Aaron smelled darn good, and kissed very well. He hated to admit it but he wanted a repeat performance from the other day.   
Generally at this point in a chase Robert would have given up, often he only did a one night stand. No ties, no connections. He couldn't figure out what was bothering him so much to want to try it again. Especially when he knew now that there was someone out there who he was meant to be with, but he wasn't actively looking for.   
He hadn't heard from his 'soulmate' in a few days either. He had had to wash off the previous messages once again, considering the amount of times he and Chrissie had made up. Seeing writing on him was bound to make Chrissie ask questions. At some point soon he was going to have to just reject the bond if he wanted to be with Chrissie. He said it before, but he sometimes needed reminding that Chrissie had all the perks going for her that Robert wanted. And he was tired of telling himself, but he knew he would have to continue telling himself for the rest of his life, especially when he found himself walking toward the back of the Woolpack and texting Aaron as he walked up to the door.   
“Can we talk?” he asked, hesitating before opening the unlocked door. He entered the mudroom by the staircase. It seemed quiet in the place, Robert could only hear the normal hustle from the kitchen past the backroom. The door was open a jar and Robert could see Aaron in the backroom on the couch. His feet were up and he was reading the newspaper, holding the paper in one hand and a piece of toast in the other. Robert smirked to himself, ready to walk in and say some cheeky little chat up line to get Aaron interested again. But before he was able to he heard Chas, who much have been standing in the kitchen just past Robert's view.   
“So, how's that fella of yours?” she asked, walking over and handing Aaron a cuppa.   
“What fella?” Aaron asked, with his mouthful. He adjusted himself, putting his feet down and sitting up as his mum came over to sit.   
“Don't lie to me son, I saw the writing on you the other day, and the smile you've been parading around here all week. Who is he?” she asked, giving him a nudge.   
“I don't know, and it's none of your business if I did,” he said, going back to his paper. “Anyway, it doesn't matter, he's currently unavailable.”  
“Oh, you're joking me?” she said, raising her eyebrows. “What does that matter, don't those bond things matter more?”   
Aaron shrugged without saying anything.   
Robert found himself having trouble breathing. There was no way that Aaron could be talking about their soul bond could he.... The bond only works in immediate vicinities, and who else was gay in this area?   
Only Finn Barton, from what Robert knew. But Finn wasn't Aaron's type. Aaron had said it himself. No wonder Aaron was going out with him, it had seemed very odd at the time, but now it all made sense. Aaron thought that Finn was his soulmate.   
Rob watched as Chas got up and scooted over to the table where she grabbed a marker and headed back toward the couch. She had a big smile on her face, she was quite proud of herself when he announced, “There's only one way to find out who this guy is, and to convince him to change his mind.” Before Aaron could stop her Robert watched as Chas quickly attacked Aaron's exposed arm. Robert didn't have to wait long before he could feel the familiar scratch on his arm. He couldn't believe it, Aaron Dingle was his soul mate. The guy he had been thinking about constantly this week, he was Rob's soulmate. This had to be some weird coincidence. There's no way that Robert was meant to be with that grumpy git.   
Robert rolled up his sleeve and saw what Chas wrote, “Can we meet sometime?”   
Aaron looked rather perturbed at his mother. “Whatda-ya do that for?” he asked, looking down at his arm. “I was trying not to push it. I don't want to meet someone who doesn't want me.”   
Robert felt a ping in his chest. But ignored it, Aaron had been right, Robert wanted Chrissie.   
Chas apologized and told Aaron she was just trying to help. A few moments later she got up and walked out of the room back toward the bar. Aaron finally pulled out his phone and saw Robert's message. “About what?” he replied to Robert's text.   
Robert immediately panicked as he heard the ding of his phone. He pulled it out of his coat pocket quickly and turned off the volume before responding. “The other day. You up for a repeat performance? I'm at the Woolpack.” Robert put his phone back in his pocket and walked over to the back door, opening and closing it as he pretended to enter. “Hello?” he called out.   
Aaron appeared out of the back room a moment later, walking over and leaning against the staircase. “What do you want?” He crossed his arms, and tried his best to hold a grimaced face.   
“I think my text said it all,” Robert said, his hands in his pockets. “I, uh, shouldn't have walked away the other day,” he told Aaron taking a step toward him.   
Aaron checked over his shoulder briefly, and Robert took the opportunity to step even closer to Aaron. He was highly invading on Aaron's personal bubble, he could feel Aaron's body heat hitting him, and he wanted to keep moving closer.   
Once Aaron turned back he bit his lip trying to hold back a smile so he looked like he was still mad at Robert, and then he nodded his head toward the stairs, “Do you want to take his upstairs?” Robert backed away from Aaron and headed up toward his room. 

Aaron

Aaron's room had been dark the entire time they had been upstairs. Robert hadn't given Aaron the chance to turn on the lights before he was on top of them, and it felt a little weird now.   
They both were just sitting in silence, Aaron had reached for his shirt once they had finished, and was now putting it on while Robert sat beside him in his small bed. It wasn't exactly built for two, and wasn't nearly what Robert was used to, but Aaron didn't mind feeling Robert right up close to him. “Are you okay?” he asked the other man. He could see him in the shadows as his eyes adjusted. Robert was just staring forward at the wall.   
Robert looked over at him and nodded. “Yeah, I'm fine.”   
“This isn't your first time, is it?” Aaron asked curiously.   
“Cheating?” Robert laughed, “No.”  
“I meant with a guy,” Aaron clarified.   
Robert took a moment to respond. He seemed to think about how he wanted to answer that. “No, not the first time for that either.”   
“Does Chrissie know?”   
“Why, are you going to tell her?” he asked defensively.   
Aaron shook his head quietly.   
There was silence again while Rob continued to stare at the wall. “You don't have to stay,” Aaron offered. “I'm not expecting you to buy me dinner or anything.”   
Rob shook his head, and turned back to Aaron again. “I know. Sorry,” he said, he pushed Aaron's blankets off and reached down for his underwear.   
“You don't have to leave either if you don't want,” Aaron said, feeling confused. “You just look distracted.”   
“I am a little, I guess,” Robert said, standing up, pulling on his pants. “Just thinking about Chrissie.”   
Aaron hesitated, not wanting to get bothered in Robert's business. He wasn't really one to care about people's lives. His family often came to him, but he couldn't be bothered with relationship drama if he could avoid it. And from what he could tell, Robert was relationship drama. “Can I ask you a question?” Aaron asked a little tentatively. Robert nodded. “I saw the writing on your arm the other day—you and Chrissie, you're soulmates right? So, why cheat?”   
“Why does anyone cheat,” Robert threw back. “Sometimes it's not enough. Sometimes it's more fun.” He shrugged. “You, this, it doesn't mean anything, it's just a fling.”   
Aaron nodded, taking it in. He had always thought about soulmate bonds as something else. He had always expected that once you had found the one you wouldn't want to cheat.   
“I've got to run,” Robert said as he finished getting dressed. “Are you up to doing this again?”   
“I thought this was just a fling?”   
Robert cocked his head to the side, “Come on, are you saying no?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.   
Aaron smirked. He couldn't believe this man, he was something else. Aaron stared up at him, back in his suit, adjusting his bedhead back into a beautiful blond mane. He stared down at Aaron with a big smile on his face, and Aaron knew he couldn't say no. He bit his lip, and shook his head. “Sure, why not.”   
Robert nodded satisfied, and walked around the bed toward the door. He stopped before exiting and turned back to Aaron, “I'll text you,” and next thing he knew the older man was gone.   
Aaron sat back in his bed, still baffled by the whole situation. Somehow he found himself in a long string of cheating that he didn't expect to. And yet he didn't seem to mind surprisingly. It was nice having Robert here when he still had no idea who his pen-pal was. And if his soulmate was going to stay with his partner then he didn't see the problem with keeping Robert on the side as well. 

“So?” Chas asked, stopping Aaron as he came through the backroom out to the bar. Aaron stared at her in confusion, no idea what she was referring to. “The message, did you hear a response?”   
Aaron had completely forgotten by the time he had gotten dressed and washed his sheets (he wouldn't have bothered, but they were kind of dirty anyway). He rolled up his sleeve to check, expecting no response, and being surprised to find there was a reply.   
“He's busy,” he lied, before quickly rolling back down his shirt. He had actually replied: “Sorry, I'm busy today, how about next week?”   
“I've got to go,” Aaron said to his mother, before she could stick her nose in it again. He ran past her out the door.   
As he walked down the main road his felt his heart beat faster and faster. He wanted to run and get all this excitement and nervousness off of him. He didn't know how to feel... but this time next week he might just know his soulmate.


	5. Part Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter only has Robert's point of view. Partially because I have very little time right now, but also partially because I wanted more focus on what happened with Robert, and I didn't have much counter balance for Aaron for this chapter.

Robert 

Almost twenty nine years Robert had been wandering the earth, and almost that entire time there was a whole other person who was just out there meant to be with him. Robert and Aaron had existed in the same space at the same time before, and it never occurred to either of them that this might be their future. Even now, Robert was the only one in the entire world who knows for the last twenty nine years, ten months, and four days, he and Aaron were slowly being drawn together to come to this place and be in this time together.  
It was a strange thought that flown around in Robert's brain as he sat down in the cafe, until Bob came over handing Rob his Americano. Bob looked down at Robert, who was sat on the couch near the door waiting for his fiance, and asked how he was doing. Robert furrowed his brow, “I'm fine Bob,” he said and then shrugged him off. Bob nodded and backed away, almost bumping into Aaron who entered in the door at that moment.  
Robert immediately looked away, worried someone would somehow figure out his mental boner. But he carefully eyed Aaron out of the side of his eye while he sipped his coffee. Aaron looked very flustered, oil still on his hands, and he was still in his overalls from the garage.  
It had been almost a week since they had been able to get together last in Aaron's bedroom. Robert had wanted to several times... or every moment of every day... but he had been really busy up at Home Farm and had barely had a chance to text the other man. Though he had been able to send him written messages in the mean time. He didn't think Aaron had any clue yet, but he wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. There was really no point in not telling him, because at some point he's going to know... but also, once he figures it out he might use it against him to break him and Chrissie up.  
The night before he and Aaron had been writing back and forth about vague things in their lives. Chrissie had been gone on an overnight business trip the night before, and was only coming back for a little while today before having a series of meetings, so Robert was able to having a lengthy full body conversation, and had yet to rub it off. There was a series of doodles and drawings of ridiculously romantic things across most of his limbs. Which was so out of character for both himself and Aaron, but it was something he quiet enjoyed having on his body, and knowing that underneath Aaron's overalls he was sporting a series of cheesy pick up lines and drawings of two cows with heart eyes on his left thigh.  
Robert was still laughing to himself about how he kept tickling Aaron by drawing on his ribs, when he realized that Aaron himself had sat down in the chair behind him. He sensed the younger man leaning his head back toward him to say something. Robert's heart gave a little flitter just being near him, but he let it pass. He had to play it cool if he didn't want anyone to know.  
“What happened to a repeat performance?” Aaron asked cooly as he flung his feet up on a chair in front of him. Brenda eyed him sharply as she walked by and Aaron removed them just as quickly as they had been placed.  
“Been busy. What are you doing this weekend, I could book a hotel?” Robert asked, casually sipping his coffee once again. Aaron didn't respond at first, he was quiet. Robert turned around slightly to make sure Aaron hadn't gotten up and left. “Do you have something on?”  
“Uh, I'm not sure.”  
“Well, we can just leave it if you want,” Rob said, slightly disappointed. “Part ways, you know. Have a nice life and such.”  
Aaron shook his head. “No, no, it doesn't really matter. It wasn't definite plans or anything, just something I wasn't sure about. I can shift it.” Robert felt a little ping of guilt when he realized that the thing Aaron was talking about was possibly meeting up. Aaron had asked if they could meet up, the pen pal versions of themselves. Robert had every intention on bailing, and so he hadn't thought twice about making definite plans anyway... he had also assumed Aaron was only doing it because Chas had asked, not because he was actually ready yet. “Good,” Robert responded.  
Cain walked into the cafe a moment later, looking down at Robert as he sauntered past him to the counter. Robert heard him order a coffee and a sandwich, which Bob took and went off to make, before Cain turned back to Aaron. “What are you doing?” he asked. “There's cars that need fixing.”  
“I'm on my break,” Aaron pointed out, holding up his own coffee.  
Cain walked toward Aaron and took his cup out of his hand. Aaron glared at him as Cain downed the rest of his coffee. Cain nodded, and said, “There, you're done. Now go do your job.”  
Aaron grumbled as he got up, “You do that all the time. Sometimes I enjoy a brew and a bacon butty too ya know.”  
“I'm sorry, do you want a job?” Cain snapped back. Aaron got up and grumbled a bit more as he sulked out of the cafe, and back to work. Cain had a smirk plastered on his face as he had a quiet amusement of annoying his nephew.  
Robert turned back to his coffee, disappointed now that his conversation had gotten cut short before he even got a chance to subtly hit on Aaron and inform him that those overalls were working for him, but he would look better in a suit.  
After a moment Cain decided to waltz over to where Robert was sitting, and he took residence across from Robert. He sat himself down and folded his hands in his lap, staring at Robert in peak fascination. At first Robert thought Cain was being his usual strange, domineering self, but then he realized that Cain wanted something. Robert stared at him waiting for the other man to speak.  
“You know, when you turn your head certain ways your collar dips down just enough to reveal that you have some writing there. It's kind of cute actually, my wife and I also have that writing bond, so I can recognize when someone has had a nice long conversation and it works its way up different limbs,” Cain said, just staring at Robert, not even blinking. Robert listened intently, waiting for the ball to drop. “And it's sweet that you and Chrissie are able to do that, have those conversations. I see that you're talking about a dog or something, right? Is that Chrissie's dog, or yours?”  
“It's the family dog, we both own it,” Robert said, unsure. He began to narrow his eyes at Cain, who followed suit and began to slowly do the same.  
“So, it is your dog? And you and Chrissie were talking about it?” Cain asked, prying.  
“What are you even talking about, Dingle? I have places to be,” Robert said, standing up. He was getting confused and frustrated, and this conversation didn't seem to be going down a road Robert liked.  
“It's just--” Cain said, going on as if Robert hadn't said anything. “--this morning I was hassling Aaron.” Robert turned back to Cain, who had paused for effect. He kicked the couch Robert had just gotten up from, and Robert turned back to sit down, more uncomfortable than before. “He recently started getting these messages on his arm and his body because some bloke started being able to write to him. And this morning in particular he had some that were crawling up the side of his neck... in the exact same spot as yours are; talking about the exact same dog.”  
Robert's heart sank. This was exactly what he was afraid of. He didn't want anyone knowing, and he didn't want anyone to be able to interfere with his plan for his life. “What do you want?” he asked Cain, seeing that smirk reappear on his face. He was loving every second of this.  
“That's my nephew you're playing around with.”  
“He doesn't know,” Robert pointed out.  
Cain's eyebrows raised, he didn't know that bit clearly. “No wonder he was going around thinking it was that twink Barton boy. That one's supposed to be my nephew too, but I only put up with him for Moira.”  
“What do you want?” Robert asked again.  
“50,000 pounds,” Cain said, crossing his legs. He looked so calm and cool as he watched Robert fidget.  
“You think I just have that sitting in my pocket?” Robert asked. “People will notice if that's gone.”  
Cain shrugged and stood up, seeing Bob bringing over his sandwich. Cain took it and headed toward the door. “You'll figure it out,” he nodded, and then added before disappearing out the door, “Otherwise you can pick which one I'll tell first, Aaron, or the misses.”


	6. Part Six

Aaron

Aaron read and re-read Robert's text he had sent him the night before about where to meet him. He currently stood in front of a very nice hotel in Hotten, probably one of the nicest hotels in Hotten, let alone the surrounding area. Which is exactly why Aaron was reading and re-reading his text. He had put on a nice suit—or nice in Dingle standards, probably not so nice to Robert's standards. It was the suit he wore to weddings and stuff, he didn't really wear suits to anything else. Robert did, and he looked pretty good in them too. It was a strange connection they had, they were complete opposites... Aaron wore sweaters and hoodies, and he liked comfort, Robert was all about looks, and about how people saw him. There wasn't a thing about him that fit into Aaron's world. And yet here he was, meeting up with Robert, for the second time. It was unexpected. Aaron hated the idea of this whole situation—he had convinced himself he wasn't because of the whole soulmate guy, but it was still weird, and strange, and he had a bad feeling about this.  
Aaron walked into the gigantic lobby, and went up to the front desk with the stuffy lobbiests with glued on smiles, and got the room key.  
He went up to the first floor and opened the door. He was surprised to see Robert already in there. The television was on, but Robert wasn't watching it. He was over by the window, watching the parking lot, with a bottle of beer in his hand. “Alright?” Aaron asked as he entered the room. He threw his bag on the floor and cautiously walked toward the other man.  
Rob looked over his shoulder before turning around. “You're here in a suit, so everything's good,” he commented eyeing Aaron up and down. Aaron looked down at the suit, noticing all it's little flaws, compared to Robert's perfectly fitted suit. Even now when they were in a similar fashion they were still so different. And yet, Robert still walked over and began pulling at Aaron's tie. “But you'd look so much better out of it,” he said with a smirk.  
Robert lowered his face to reach down to Aaron's and kissed him tenderly. He pulled away too soon, and looked into Aaron's eyes before coming back down for more kisses. They began to pull each other's coats off, and Robert reached forward to unbutton Aaron's shirt. He had almost finished when Aaron pushed him away. Their lips separated, and Aaron took several steps back. Robert looked confused. There was a crinkle in his forehead, and his eyes looked concernedly at Aaron. He had a look of panic like he had hurt him, but Aaron shook his head.  
It had been a while since he had hurt himself, a good while, but there were still scars. And even if he tried to play it off as some sort of accident, Robert would still know. Aaron wasn't ready to feel that sting of rejection he felt when Ed first found out about Jackson and judged him... though he and Ed were different than he and Robert were. Aaron didn't really currently owe Robert any sort of explanation. He just hadn't really had a chance to explain last time, considering it was in the dark.  
“What's going on?” Robert asked, he sat down on the bed, putting his hand on his upper thigh. He didn't look angry, which Aaron appreciated. But he looked a little off-put.  
“I have to tell you something,” Aaron said quickly. He wasn't ashamed or anything. He wasn't ready to go give school speeches about it or anything, but he knew it would break him if Robert was about to judge him, and that made Aaron feel a little uneasy. “I--”  
“Is this about Finn?” Robert interrupted. “Your uncle told me you and Finn--”  
“Cain told you what?” Aaron asked, getting distracted.  
“He told me that you and Finn might have some sort of soulmate bond...” Robert said.  
“The one like you and Chrissie? Are you about to give me advice, because--” Aaron shook his head with a laugh. He couldn't believe Cain had been spreading this stupid thing around. There was no way he and Finn were soulmates and even Cain had to know that. What a joke. “--it's not true. I don't know why Cain told you that.”  
“I know, Aaron, I have to tell you something...”

Robert

“What do you mean you know?” Aaron asked, stepping back again, he still had a laugh on his face, he looked a little tentative now. “Why was Cain talking about this with you?”  
“You see, that's what I wanted to tell you... I have to kill your uncle.”  
It was Aaron's turn to look confused. He stepped toward Robert this time, defensively, he ducked his head down and pointed a finger at Robert. “You what?”  
“You see,” Robert sighed and scratched the back of his head. “That soulmate bond I have with Chrissie.. it's not actually with Chrissie.”  
Aaron stood up straight and blinked a few times. “How is that even possible. She's your wife.”  
“Not yet,” Robert pointed out.  
“If you knew this then why the hell are you marrying her?”  
Robert shrugged. “She's rich.”  
Aaron scoffed and turned around putting his hands on his hips. “You're unbelievable.”  
“The thing is, Cain figured it out--” Robert started, and Aaron cut him off. “So, you're telling me that not only are you cheating on Chrissie with me, you're also cheating on someone else too?”  
Robert took a moment to answer, thinking of the best way to put it. “Well, technically no.”  
“What do you mean no, Robert? I've seen the writing on your arm, that day at Home Farm. You've got someone else, and you've got her convinced she's the only one too, haven't you? Poor cow. You're ridiculous.” Aaron was getting well worked up, and Robert was a little concerned he wasn't going to be able to talk himself out of this one.  
“You see, the thing is...”  
“Who's the third person, Robert? Who's the writing from?” Aaron asked, once again cutting him off. Robert just stared at him, he knew Aaron knew. “Who is it?”  
“The thing is, there's not a third person,” Robert finished.  
Aaron reached up and scratched his eyebrow. He sat down on the other side of the bed, his back to Robert. “You have got to be joking me.”  
“I only figured it out the other day. I didn't know it was you before that, I promise. I never used to write on myself before, but I just kept seeing all your little notes to yourself, and Chrissie and I were fighting one day, so I just got curious,” Robert explained. “Only, the thing is... like I said, Cain figured it out. And now Cain's trying to blackmail me.”  
Aaron shook his head and laughed. “Of course he did,” he said sarcastically. “You know, he wouldn't be able to blackmail you if you weren't trying to have a sham of a marriage.”  
“I was going to break up with her. I thought about it a lot, but I worked so hard to get where I am, I can't just lose all that.”  
“Don't you think you could rebuild all that? If you're so good at your job you could get a new one.”  
“A new one here, in Emmerdale?” Robert scoffed. “I built Lawrence's company, I helped make it what it is.”  
“So make your own,” Aaron shrugged. “Unless, it's not about that, is it? Not really.”  
Robert hung his head, and sighed. “I can't lose her, can I.”  
“What about me?” Aaron asked, holding up his arm. Robert didn't say anything. He moved closer to Aaron wordlessly, sitting only a few inches behind him. Aaron got up in response and headed toward the door. “Where are you going?” Robert asked.  
“I'm leaving. You've got Chrissie,” Aaron responded, picking up his bag.  
Robert stood up, teetering toward the bed and the door. He exhaled sharply and said, “It's not enough.”  
“What?” Aaron asked, his hand still on the doorknob.  
“I think I love her, but it's not enough. She's not enough,” Robert repeated himself. Aaron turned back toward him. Robert walked over slowly, still giving Aaron his space.  
Robert knew what he was doing what cruel and unfair, but something inside him knew he couldn't let Aaron leave him forever. He could be mad at him, and he could punch things if he wanted, but Robert couldn't let him just walk away without saying something. Chrissie was everything he had always wanted. He had gone over this idea in his head so many times. She had everything Robert had strived for since he had left this tiny ridiculous village. He had worked so hard to prove to his dad, and Andy, and Diane, and anyone else in this village that doubted him, that he wasn't worthless. And he could let Aaron walk out that door and it would all be over. There wouldn't be any more unexplainable writing just appearing on his skin, there wouldn't be anymore questionable bruises or marks, or anything. He would never have to wake up wondering if Chrissie knew, because Aaron wouldn't write anymore, and Chrissie would never find out.  
And yet he still had uttered the words. “It's not enough.”  
“What do you want me to do about that?” Aaron asked, cocking an eyebrow. He didn't look overly content with Robert's declaration, but he hadn't exactly walked out the door yet either.  
“I don't know,” Robert said honestly.  
Aaron turned, and he swung the door open, and Robert's heart stopped. Just when he though he had deterred him, Aaron surprised Robert once again. “Where are you going?” he asked, trying to play it off as more of a bother than a disappointment. “You know--” Robert said, ignoring his own question. Aaron stopped in the doorway again. “I knew what you were going to say. I already knew, about what's under your shirt, about Jackson. I don't care, about any of it, if that's what you were going to ask me.” His voice was soft, and he hated letting himself be this way with someone. But he didn't want Aaron to feel like he was alone, not again.  
Aaron didn't say anything, he just stood in the open doorway, the hallway was quiet and empty, and the two men just stared at each other. “I'm going to go talk to Cain,” Aaron told him, as if Robert had never said anything. Robert nodded and watched as Aaron walked down the hall toward the large winding staircase. He didn't follow him, but he secretly wanted to, and he was surprised to feel a pain in his chest. As much as he hated to admit it, Chrissie really wasn't enough.


	7. Part Seven

Robert

Robert watched from a far, on looking the Dingle garage. Aaron was at work fixing up cars. He couldn't see Robert from where he stood, but Robert didn't want him to anyway. Aaron hadn't texted Robert in over a week. Robert had tried messaging Aaron on their skin, but he responded by writing rudely that Rob would have to wait, across Robert's forehead—which had to be washed off rather quickly, for obvious reasons.

He knew their conversation hadn't gone exactly as planned, but Robert had expected Aaron to get over it more quickly than this.

He pulled his phone out of his pocket and hovered his finger over Aaron's name. He didn't know what to say though. He could only apologize and make empty promises so many times before even Robert knew he was being pathetic. Instead he put his phone back in his pocket and walked over to the Woolpack. He slumped his shoulders, shoved his hands in his pocket, his right hand wrapped around his phone in case he texts, and he kicked a rock down the main road to the pub.

Inside there were very few people, the bar was unattended, someone probably changing the barrel, and a few people were sat in the booths—Ashley and Sandy, Jai and Priya, and Dan over in the corner. No one particularly of interest. Robert stood by the bar, throwing his hands down, placing his phone in front of himself, and leaning his whole body weight.

He felt so ridiculous, he couldn't get the other man out of his head. He couldn't tell if it was because of this soulmate thing, or if he just wasn't used to hearing no. What bothered him most was that he didn't even really know him. But after watching Aaron around town lately, he could feel himself feeling things for him. He had spent most of his life burying these feelings, and yet here they were, inevitable. If he rejected this bond and married Chrissie then he was going to feel this empty feeling forever. But if he chose Aaron then everyone was going to know the one thing he had been working so hard to get away from. They're all going to react the same way his father had.

“So?” Cain Dingle asked, coming up behind him. Robert hadn't heard him come in, let alone walk up beside him.

“So, what?” Robert asked.

“Come on, Sugden. Where's the money then?”

Robert turned to look at Cain, there was no sign of a joke, and yet this must be one. “I thought Aaron was going to talk to you?”

Cain scoffed. “You think that did much?”

Robert was speechless. Cain was just staring at him expectedly, but Robert didn't know what to say. “I don't have it.”

“You really thought just telling Aaron was going to do anything? You pull something over one Dingle, and you pull something over all of us.” Cain patted Robert on the back quite harshly, almost knocking the wind out of him. “Let's take a walk,” he said quietly, grabbing onto Robert's arm tightly and guiding him out of the pub.

“I'm—I'm not pulling something over him,” Robert tried to explain as Cain shoved Robert into the car, and walked around to the driver's side. “Haven't you ever made a mistake?”

“You calling my nephew a mistake then?” Cain asked, keeping his eyes on the road, but tightening his grip on the steering wheel.

Robert's shirt collar was beginning to feel a little tight, and he knew whatever was happening wasn't going to be good. “I care about him,” Robert confessed.

Cain said nothing. He drove off the main road, outside of the main village area. His face was fairly expressionless, but Robert knew that wasn't good.

“You think you're scaring me? You do, don't you,” Robert challenged. “Oh look at big man Cain, you're nothing. What are you going to do, kill me? What will that do, you'll have nothing to hold over my head then. You'll get nothing out of it, and you'll hurt Aaron.”

“Aaron's over you,” Cain laughed.

“Over me? He's not over me. I'm not stupid, you can't just get over a soulmate bond. Aaron's always going to want me,” Robert snapped.

“Oh yeah? Well then the same can be said about you then, eh? You love our Aaron.”

Robert shrugged, but didn't say anything. He was losing the upper hand.

Cain stopped outside Wiley's farm. It was in a big, open area, no one around—no one to see them or hear them. Cain turned off the ignition, and got out of the car, walking around to the other side and pulling out Robert too. He shoved Robert toward the entrance, while going around to the boot of the car. “What can you even do? I've already told him.”

“And your wife?” Cain pointed out.

“She's never going to believe you. I'm straight, and she knows that.”

Cain closed the boot, holding rope and duct tape in his hands. Robert couldn't believe it, he was seriously letting himself get kidnapped right now. “Are we gong to do this the easy way, or the hard way?” Cain asked, walking toward Robert.

“Why am I even surprised you have that in your car?” Robert said sarcastically. Cain shoved him toward the barn door and kicked him through.

Cain lead Robert over to a hay bail. Robert sat down shaking his head. He let Cain tie him up, and just stared up at him. “What's your great plan now? You've got me here, I still don't have your money, and Lawrence is never going to pay that much to get me back, he hates my guts. He'll probably throw a parade.”

Cain reached down and pulled Robert's phone out of his pocket. Robert quickly noticed that there was still no messages—not that that really matter at the moment. “What's your password?” Cain demanded.

Robert laughed, “I'm not telling you.” Cain rolled his eyes and put tape over Robert's mouth. He then took the sim car out of Robert's phone and put it into his own. Robert stopped laughing, and mumbled, “What are you doing?”

“Smile,” Cain said, taking a photo of him. “I'm going to send that to Chrissie and Aaron. Let's see who really cares about you,” Cain told him with a smile on his face.

Robert's heart sank and all the blood ran out of his face. Something big was about to happen, and all he could hope for was that one of them didn't show up.

 

Within the half an hour Aaron's car pulled up. “Cain!” he shouted before even getting inside the barn. Cain looked amused as his nephew walked through the doors, running right at him and punching Cain in the face. “What the hell are you playing at?”

Moments later, before Cain had been able to gather himself, Chrissie's car pulled up. Robert wished he could just shrink into a ball and disappear.

“What the hell is going on?”Chrissie demanded. She pulled her phone out of her purse and held her thumb over the keypad. “Let him go, or I'm going to call the police.” Her voice was a little shaky. She kept looking between Aaron, Cain and Robert.

Robert began muttering again, pointed at Cain so he would take off the duct tape. Cain just laughed and shook his head. “You got yourself into this mess.”

Aaron rolled his eyes and stomped over to Robert. He ripped the tape off his mouth, rolling it up into a ball and throwing it at Cain. “Did he hurt you?” Robert shook his head. Aaron bent down and untied the ropes, and freeing Robert.

Chrissie still stood by the entrance, like a deer in headlights. “Don't call the police. It's just a misunderstanding,” Robert instructed. He got up and walked toward her, looking back at the other two. Aaron had moved away from his uncle and stood off from either side, leaning his back against a hay bale, one foot rest up while the other balancing him. He ran one hand down his face, groaning in frustration and then crossed his arms.

“Did you want to explain?” Cain offered, nodding to Robert.

“Cain, leave it,” Aaron protested.

Robert took Chrissie's arm and guided her back toward the door, trying to get out as fast as he could.

“Oi, Sugden, I think you forgot to tell your misses something,” Cain barked.

Chrissie turned back around, turning her body back to the room, and looking up at Robert. Robert looked past her toward the door, wondering if he can get out of this and just explain at home without the audience.

“What do you need to tell me?” Chrissie inquired.

“It's nothing,” Robert insisted, trying to guide her again. She pulled her arm back, and stepped away. “Chrissie--”

“What's going on Robert? What are these two doing here?”

“Don't look at me,” Aaron mentioned, holding his hands in the air. “I got a text just like you did.”

“Why?” Chrissie asked, looking from Robert to Cain again. “Why are we here?”

“Go on, Sunshine, tell her,” Cain encouraged. He nodded his head toward Robert, who had dropped his head. Chrissie tried to catch his eye, but he couldn't look at her. “Ask him what Aaron's doing here.”

“Robert?” she asked, her voice breaking. “Are you doing something illegal?” she whispered.

Aaron scoffed. “Thanks Chrissie, you think that's all I'm good for?”

Chrissie apologized, “I'm sorry Aaron, I'm just very confused why we're here.”

Aaron stepped forward, Robert still couldn't look at either of them. “Go on Rob, tell her what you've been doing while she's been out of town.”

Chrissie's eyes widened. Robert turned his head to look at her slightly, her mouth was open wide, waiting to say something that wouldn't come out.

“You won't say it?” Aaron challenged. “Fine. Chrissie, haven't you ever wondered why sometimes Robert's got little marks on him that look like pen, but you've got nothing on your skin? Did you wonder what Robert was doing at a fancy hotel last week? He probably put it on the expense account, didn't he? Did you ever wonder what it would be like to have that writing bond, you tested you didn't you? I bet it didn't work, did it? And he probably told you it did. Or that maybe it just didn't work? Well it does. Just not with you.”

“Aaron--” Robert pleaded.

Chrissie gasped, looking at her fiance. Robert's face had scrunched up, and he was shaking his head rapidly. He wanted nothing more than for this to be over. He wanted it all to go away. He couldn't believe Aaron was doing this to him.

“Who?” Chrissie asked.

“You poor cow,” Cain laughed from the background.

Aaron had tears rolling down his cheeks. Robert knew Aaron hated it, but he knew he was mad at Robert. And if Aaron didn't say it, Cain was going to. “He was with me,” he bellowed pointing to himself. “He was writing to me.”

Chrissie burst into tears and ran out the barn door. Robert ran after her as he heard her car turn on and she drove off.

 

Aaron

 

Robert returned a moment later after yelling after her until she was off in the distance. He stalked right toward Aaron, getting right up in his face and shouting, “How could you do that?”

“Me? How could you do that? Why didn't you just tell her!” Aaron growled, not backing away.

“To avoid that, did you see how hurt she was. You're both despicable,” Robert said before leaving once again, trekking after Chrissie back to Home Farm.

“You're really leaving, just like that?” Aaron called after him.

“Yeah, I am,” Robert fumed, not looking back.

Aaron watched Robert walk off. It had begun to rain, Robert was getting soaked and his pants were beginning to get covered in mud. Already his perfect image was falling apart as his once perfect suit was getting tarnished.

 

Aaron didn't return to yell at his uncle. He knew there was no point, and it would only satisfy Cain. Instead he got back in his car and drove back home.

He walked in the backdoor, slamming the door shut and stomping his feet on the ground to shake off the boots.

“Oi! What did the door ever do to you?” Chas called from the backroom.

Aaron ignored her and walked through to the bar. He shoved past Alicia to grab himself a pint. She protested but didn't have the strength to get through to Aaron. Chas followed through and continued to tell him off. “Look at you. You're dragging mud after you. At least take your shoes off would ya.”

Aaron walked back to the back room, his pint back in hand, and shoved off his shoes, sitting down at the couch.

Chas sat down at the table, staring at her son as he flipped through the channels on the television. Eventually she spoke, not able to hold herself back anymore, “I notice that something is wrong here.”

“Nothing gets past you,” Aaron said sarcastically, not looking away from the screen. He threw down the remote, landing on some mindless show that he couldn't give a toss about. He sipped at his drink while his mother drilled him some more.

“Is it about your fella?”

“My what?” Aaron asked.

“That guy, your pen pal. I wasn't going to ask, I was just going to back off, and let you and him get on. But--”

“But you're incapable of that,” Aaron interjected.

“Hey! That's not true... I'm just a little curious how it went. When you met, I mean,” she prodded.

Aaron scoffed and lifted his drink to his lips before murmuring, “It's Robert Sugden.”

“What was that?” Chas asked, a look of disbelieve on her face.

Aaron coughed, and shook his head. “It went terrible, alright? It turned out to be Robert Sugden.”

“Robert flaming Sugden?!” Chas practically screeched, her voice going up an octive.

He reached up and scratched an eyebrow as he nodded. “I'm not too happy about it either.”

Chas got up and began pacing the backroom. Aaron could see her mind working a million miles a minute. “This has got to be some sort of mistake. Robert Sugden is a terrible, terrible person. He's made Katie's life a misery, he's terrible to Diane, he ruins everything he touches,” Chas rambled.

Aaron wanted to agree, nodding his head. But a part of him wanted to argue on Robert's behalf. When they had their conversations late at night, they might not have been together, and he might not have known who he was talking to, but Robert was actually really sweet. When he wasn't putting up a front, and he was just being himself he was actually such a different person. Aaron had told him about all the things he had been worrying about over the last couple weeks or so, and surprisingly Robert had just been there for him. He hadn't looked for some sort of motive, he just let him talk and express all his worries. And he did the same, he told Aaron about how he worried about disappointing his parents, and how he worried about his sister. He had never said their names, and he had never given specific stories, and neither had Aaron. But he had told Aaron all about when he was little and how being back here had been like for him. It was a side of Robert that he didn't know if anyone really got to see.

And yet, it didn't matter. He still went after Chrissie. Maybe he was able to talk to her like that too. Or maybe not... but she was better than he would ever be, and that's all that mattered.

“It's not a problem anymore, mom,” Aaron announced, cutting her off. “He chose Chrissie, he's never going to leave her.”

Chas shut up. She sat back down, pulling her chair toward her son. She looked like she wanted to stand up and hug him, but he really hope she wouldn't. “Baby...” she said.

Aaron lifted up his cup and drank the rest of his pint. He shook his head and stood up. “Like I said, it's not a problem. You were right, he's a terrible person.”

“Aaron?” Chas asked, looking up at him. She reached out for his hand. “Are you okay?” Aaron didn't say anything. “You can tell me, you know. I'm sorry if you like him. I just don't want you to get hurt.”

“Today he looked right at me, and then walked away. And it hurt,” Aaron said, tears rolling down his face. He reached up and wiped them away with his sleeve. “It hurt... but I'd still have him back in a shot.”

Chas squeezed his hand, “You are the best person I know. You don't need him.”

Aaron nodded, wiping tears away again. He walked around the couch and headed toward the backdoor. He stood at the bottom of the stairs, breathing deeply. He couldn't believe what had happened. He couldn't tell if he was more mad at Cain or Robert. But he hated himself most for feeling this way. There was nothing he could do now, he was always going to feel this way, and that impending doom weighed so much.

He stomped upstairs and swung his door open. Inside the lights were on, and Robert stood over by his window. He was soaking wet, head to toe. His hair was plastered to his face, rain dripping down from his bangs, and he was a mess, a pool of rain water was soaking up Aaron's carpet. He looked like a wet dog. Aaron was confused how he got in, he must have slipped past while he and Chas had been talking--how much had he heard, if anything?

“What are you doing here?” Aaron snapped, shutting the door behind him.

Robert and Aaron stared at each other for a moment. Robert looked drained and lost, and Aaron looked confused. “Can we talk?” Robert finally asked.

 


	8. Part Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure about this chapter. I feel like I overshadowed Aaron's problem with Robert's problem. I'm not sure if that was particularly fair to Aaron. Let me know what you think.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> !Trigger warning!
> 
> There is a scene in this chapter of Aaron self harming. It is somewhat graphic. So if that is a problem for you I will understand if you have to skip this chapter.  
> IF you would still like to read the chapter, but are unable to read that particular part, I will be including a line of a few stars before and after the actual description, so feel free to just scroll past that section.

 

Aaron

 

Aaron could see Robert out of the corner of his eye, just as he often did. Robert liked to keep his distance, usually he would just sit quietly in the bar, and occasionally look over, or he would walk by the garage multiple times somewhat casually. But ever since he had turned him away that night in his room, Robert had been a little less subtle about it. Aaron wouldn't call it stalking, but he wouldn't call it normal either.

Robert had been left with nothing after the day at Wiley's. Aaron wasn't too happy with how Cain had gone about Robert's outing, as someone who hadn't been able to come out on his own terms, he knew Robert couldn't have been feeling great. The whole town was whispering about it, Chrissie had told practically everyone, and now anyone who had wanted to come in for a pint asked him about it.

For the first couple of days Robert had just disappeared, at least he hadn't been around Aaron, he suspected that Robert had once again gone back to trying to get Chrissie back after his attempt with Aaron was unsuccessful.

Aaron had wanted to take him back, he really had. But he knew it was just because he couldn't have Chrissie.

 

Robert had appeared in Aaron's darkened room in the middle of the night, after he had been talking to his mother. Aaron hadn't even heard him come in, nor up the stairs, he almost gave Aaron a heart attack when he walked in his room. Robert was just standing there by his window, in the dark, soaking wet—which was ridiculous because he knew where the towels were, he was clearly just standing there for the dramatics.

He asked Aaron to talk, and almost immediately Aaron told him no. He knew what Robert was going to say, about how he and Chrissie had talked and they decided it was over. But Aaron wasn't an idiot, he knew that was rubbish, and Robert was just picking him as a consolation prize.

“Aaron—please, will you just listen? I know what you're thinking,” Robert said, walking around the bed and closer to the other man.

Aaron backed away, his hand itching to grab the door. Some sort of declaration was coming, and Aaron was not nearly close to caring what it was. He had only a moment ago been defending Robert to his mother, but inside his heart was breaking because he thought Robert was never coming back to him. He was confused with all his emotions, and he just wanted to punch something really hard.

“I messed up, and I ruined it all, whatever it was we had. Please, can we just start over?” he asked, his eyes wide, looking at Aaron with hope and desperation. “Chrissie and I are finished. I'm just finished with this whole village, can we—can we just go somewhere, anywhere, Manchester, London... I don't even care, just somewhere and just start over?”

“Robert, I can't. I can't leave the village, are you daft? What about my mum and Paddy? What about your sister and Andy? You can't just leave them.”

“I have before,” Robert pointed out. He didn't look too upset at the prospect of having to do it again. “I would do that, for you.”

“Robert, no,” Aaron shook his head. He couldn't do it, he couldn't be tricked by Robert again.

Aaron's hand was on the door knob, he had had enough, when Robert started saying, “Aaron, I l--”

“I've got to go,” Aaron informed him. His palms were all sweaty, and his face was hot. He was about ready to fly off the rails. So he did, he ran down the stairs, he could see his mom turning her head around on the couch as she watched tv, interrupted by the noise, but he just kept running. He ran out the door and now the road, he wasn't in proper running clothes, but he needed to just get it all out in a good run.

By the time he got back nearly an hour later Robert was gone.

 

After the first few days of silence Robert had gone back to writing on his arm again. Occasionally a few times a day he could feel a tingling sensation from a new message, but Aaron would just ignore it. Each night he would check all the messages and read them before showering and rubbing them all off. They were mostly just apologies. Sometimes in different languages, which made Aaron even madder—only Robert would pretentiously apologize. But sometimes they were little partial explanations, and promises “Chrissie meant nothing”, “I was wrong about the money”, “I was confused”. And Aaron wanted to believe him, he wanted to just hear him out. But he just didn't want this to be the rest of his life. Someone else always being better than him, Robert always looking for some girl who's richer.

 

“Sweetheart, I hate seeing you so sad,” Chas said to him one night, coming through to the back with a pint in her hand. She knew one way to cheer him up at least. Little did she know he had a full 6-pack upstairs waiting for him. He hated seeing himself like this too, but he knew it would only be temporary. Soulmate bonds hurt when they're rejected, you get this empty feeling inside of you, but Aaron had always had an empty feeling inside of him, it was something he was used to.

“I'm fine,” Aaron said, pulling his feet off the coffee table and planting them on the floor. He leaned forward and grabbed the pint. It seemed he and his mom had been having a lot of these back room conversations lately, he with a pint, and she with advice. “Maybe you should tell your brother not to stick his oar in next time. He mind his and I'll mind mine.”

“It was going to come out at some point though, son,” Chas pointed out. “He wasn't going to stay with her. You can't just ignore a soulmate bond forever.”

“You have,” Aaron mumbled, sipping his drink.

“No, that's not true. I've never encountered any signs that any of the blokes I've dated have been my soulmate. So either he's dead, or he's still on his way,” Chas shot back. “Besides, I don't need a bloke anyway, I'm fine on me own.”

“Oh and I'm not?” Aaron asked with a bite, “You think I need Robert Sugden to make my life complete?”

“No son, I don't. I think you are the most amazing person, and you don't need anyone,” Chas said softly. She walked over and sat down on the couch beside Aaron, resting a hand on his knee, trying to comfort him.

He shot up like a rocket, and snapped, “Good, because no one wants me. I'm not good enough for anyone.” And then he was gone, jumping over Chas and jetting upstairs.

 

*************

Aaron slammed his door shut, he could feel his blood boiling inside of him. He wanted to immediately kick his door down and throw it out the window. But he couldn't bear seeing his mom's hurt face when she saw what a mess he was becoming. Instead he sat down on his bed and pulled off his trousers so he was just sat in his pants. He stared at his legs, the only place that there weren't any scars. He wanted to change that. He began just scratching down his legs as hard as he could. It didn't do much considering he'd been biting his nails off all week.

Instead they just left white scratch marks that were slowly turning red. It wasn't enough red.

He got up and went over to his dresser drawer. Inside the top drawer he had taped a razor blade to the roof the drawer. He was sure his mother did random checks of his room, but he doubted she would think to check there. He was an adult, she thought she could trust him now, but how could she, he was clearly a mess if Robert flaming Sugden was his soulmate.

He sat down on his bed, blade in hand, and just sat there grinding his teeth, and tears in his eyes. He took the blade and just touched it to his skin, he could turn back now if he wanted... but he didn't want. It felt good, he told himself. It would help, he told himself again. He pressed the blade into his skin and just ran it a few inches down his thigh. A thigh Robert could write on. Maybe if he just cut it all, his entire body, maybe it would go away. This whole soul mate bond thing was just getting the better of him. He began making little incisions all along from his lower thigh to his knee cap. Some were just lines parallel to each other, and some went the other direction, and when he began to run out of room he he let them all collide. It just looked like a sea of blood from a fountain he couldn't handle. He didn't know what had come over him, if it was Robert himself, or all this stress of having something outside himself predict his future happiness and watching that slip away. He wanted something he could handle.

He looked over at his leg momentarily, feeling that tingling feeling of a message being written. In scribbled, frantic writing, Robert had written one word: “STOP.” Aaron looked down at it for a moment. He waited for there to be more. Some sort of lengthy message about how he could feel what he was doing, and it wasn't good for him, or either of them. But nothing came. Just the one word. Aaron wanted to write back that he couldn't, because it was true. He'd been doing it for too long now, he'd gone through so much and still he was back here.

He pulled off his shirt and looked down at his old scars. They were there from the last time his future happiness was taken away from him. It had been too long since the last time he had thought about Jackson. At the time when Jackson was here Aaron had wondered if they were meant to be together forever. If he had been with Jackson when Robert appeared things might have been different, he realized. He might not have left Jackson so easily, especially after his accident.

Aaron sat there, almost naked, staring down at himself. His blade was still in his hand, blood covering it and his surrounding fingers. It had begun to hurt, his leg throbbing a little, but it wasn't as much as that hole in his heart, that feeling of once again not being enough.

**************

 

Robert

 

Robert jumped out of his bed in his sister's house, throwing his pen down on the bed after writing “STOP” in big letters. He wasn't even dressed, he was in his pyjamas, and he didn't even want to waste the time putting on shoes. He could still feel what Aaron was doing. It was a different sensation from Aaron would write on him. He didn't bleed, and it didn't really hurt, but it was a stronger feeling, like getting stung by a mosquito multiple times in a row.

He practically flew down the stairs and out the door, he didn't even utter an explanation to Victoria, he just left her staring after him.

The moment he began to feel it he knew something was wrong. He couldn't figure it out at first, because he'd never felt when Aaron had done it before, and he himself had never done it to himself. But once he started going faster and faster and more and more, Robert finally realized. He felt like a right idiot for not realizing sooner, considering Aaron's history.

It barely hit him until he was out the door, that Aaron could be doing more than just hurting himself, he could actually be trying to kill himself. Keepers Cottage was only a short distance from the Woolpack, but it felt so far as the prospect of losing Aaron drew closer. It was strange because Chrissie was such a strong, confident woman, she barely ever needed Robert. Aaron was strong too, but he wasn't confident—not really. Everyone around him left him, Robert himself included. He hated himself for it so much more now. He had spent the last week thinking about how if he just kept pursuing him, Aaron would finally take him back. Chrissie was done and over with him, but she wasn't his soulmate, and he was an idiot for not seeing that from the very beginning.

He opened the back door and walked into the mud room, trying to not make too much of a commotion. He didn't want to startle Aaron, or anyone else who might not know. He could hear Chas and Paddy in the back room.

“Chas, are you okay?” Paddy asked, Robert could see them both through the crack in the door. Paddy stood by the couch, his hands hovering by his pockets, not sure whether to reach out and hug Chas who was sat at the kitchen table wiping away tears, or to continue standing there awkwardly.

“It's Aaron,” she said, and Robert's stomach flipped. “He was back here a few minutes ago and we were talking about Robert.”

“What's he done now?” Paddy asked, getting defensive at the sound of Robert's name.

“Aaron wants to be rid of him, I think... But he just wants to be loved, Paddy. He thinks no one wants him,” Chas said, breaking into another round of tears. “This is all my fault. I should have never left him.”

“No, Chas. No, this isn't your fault,” Paddy said, finally deciding to move closer. He sat down at the table across from her, placing his hands close to hers. “Aaron has had a lot of disappointments in his life, but you are there for him, and I am there for him. He is not alone. He's just upset, and he will see that. He will soon realize that Robert is just the idiot he has always been, and this soulmate thing doesn't matter.”

Chas tilted her head to the side, and stared at Paddy wildly. “Paddy, you and Rhona are soulmates, and you're so happy. You don't think he sees that, and doesn't wish he had that? He just wants one person he can really count on.”

“He has us,” Paddy insisted. “Maybe I should go talk to him,” he suggested as he stood up. Robert panicked, almost running back out the door.

“No, Paddy, maybe we should just leave him for a bit. Let him calm down first,” Chas said, standing up too. Paddy nodded in agreement and sat back down.

No, no, no, no, Robert thought to himself. He turned and ran up the stairs. He began to realize he hadn't felt anything for a few minutes, either Aaron had stopped or something else had happened. He wandered down the hallway to Aaron's room, not wanted to alert Diane or Doug if they were upstairs at all. He got to the end of the hall where he had been previously under very different circumstances. He opened the door, not even knocking, and found Aaron on the bed, sat up right covered in blood.

Robert rushed over to the cabinet where the towels were and grabbed one and threw it on Aaron's leg, pressing down as hard as he could, to stop the bleeding. “Aaron, Aaron, Aaron,” he said trying to get his attention. Aaron had become very subdued, barely aware of his surroundings, Robert wasn't even sure he knew he was there. He just kept staring ahead, his body rocking slightly back and forth, most likely subconsciously, while Aaron just sat there in his pants, with his blade in hand.

Robert reached to Aaron's hand and took the blade away, which Aaron didn't even try to fight him on. Robert grabbed another cloth and went to the bathroom to wet it. He also grabbed the first aid kit that they kept under the sink, and took back to Aaron's room. He quietly shut the door behind him, and kneeled back down beside Aaron. He reached up and touched Aaron's face, trying to get his attention. “Aaron?” he asked again, softly. “Hey, it's Robert, I'm here, okay? I'm going to clean this up, okay?”

Aaron slowly looked down at him. Robert wanted to smile, glad he could get his attention, but knew it wasn't the time.

“What are you doing here?” Aaron asked, his face was still blank and his voice was groggy. He had lost all life to him.

Robert pointed down to Aaron's other leg, the one where he had written “STOP”, which Aaron had since traced the letters with his blade. It was not Robert's original intent when he wrote it, but he wasn't overly surprised.

He pulled out some disinfectant, and some bandages and began to clean off all of Aaron's cuts. “Should I take you to the hospital?”

“I'm fine,” Aaron muttered, turning his head back to the wall.

“You're not fine,” Robert argued, “People who do this are not fine.”

Aaron had not response. He just continued to look away as Robert took care of him. “What are you doing here?” he asked again eventually.

“I care about you,” Robert answered almost instinctively. “I can't watch you suffer.”

“You don't care about me,” Aaron responded. “You're just bonded to me.”

Robert looked up at him, Aaron's words had stung. “I love you,” he insisted.

“Chrissie--” Aaron began before Robert cut him off. “Chrissie and I were over after I chased after her. It was stupid, and I regret it. I should have just stayed with you the whole time.”

Aaron looked confused. He started down at Robert for a great deal of time before asking, “So, you didn't go after her again after I kicked you out of here?”

Robert stopped, looking up at Aaron, and shook his head, “Of course not. I love you, I tried to tell you then.”

“You said you loved her too.”

Robert nodded, Aaron had a point. Robert had stupidly said he loved her too. And to be honest, he thought he had, but once Aaron had come in the picture that feeling of love began to fade for Chrissie. He just didn't realize it because he was afraid of what it would mean.

“Aaron, I've got to tell you something,” he said as he finished up with Aaron's leg. He moved over to his other thigh and his abdomen. Both of which weren't as bad as his leg, but still touched none the less. Aaron just watched him as he went, showing no signs of wincing or any more pain. Either cleaning it off didn't hurt, or Aaron was so far past pain he was just used to it. And that was all down to Robert. Chas had thought it was her fault, but Robert knew she was just saying that.

Aaron took the cloth from Robert as he listened, wanting to help clean himself. “I was always a disappointment in my family. I always wanted what was different, and not the Sugden way. My whole life was this way, and all I ever wanted to do was make my dad proud,” he began.

He sat back for a moment, taking a breath in, he turned his head away before he went on, “There was this lad once who helped on the farm, when I was probably like 15... and uh--”

“You liked him?” Aaron asked. Robert nodded. “And one day we were in my room, and my dad caught us. He fired him, and took it out on me. We never talked about it again, but he never looked at me the same. If I wasn't the disappointment before, I was definitely then. So I buried it and I didn't think about it until I was far away from here. I never wanted to come back here and see my dad's disappointed face again.

“I wasn't lying when I said there had been other guys, because there had been, but it was nothing every time. Just one night stands and such. And then I met Chrissie, and I knew she was everything my dad would have wanted for me, to be proud of me,” Robert confessed, as he choked up. He couldn't believe he was actually telling someone this, this secret he had been hiding for half his life. “No one else knows, but I just...wanted you to know that I know what it's like to not be wanted. And it sucks, and it hurts—some of us more than others,” he said, looking back over at Aaron, and down at his scars.

“I'm not saying what I did was right, with you and Chrissie. I was confused, and an idiot. I was trying to still bury it, and that was stupid, because look what's happened now.”

“Robert--”

“Don't. Don't make excuses for me, I know I've messed up. But I want to make it up to you, if you'll let me?” Robert asked, standing up. He walked over to the dresser and pulled out new clothes for Aaron, handing them over to him. Aaron slipped on his new pyjamas, staring up at Robert in his. “I know it will take time, and you don't have to decide now, but are you going to be alright tonight?”

Aaron nodded his head. “Yeah, I'm fine.” Robert gave him a look. He knew when Aaron said fine, he didn't really mean fine. And he knew it wasn't going to be fixed over night, he had been triggered again, and he was having a set back. So he might not be fine now, but in the future he might just be.

Robert walked around the bed, and pulled back the sheets for Aaron, who shuffled himself back into the bed and scooted under the blankets. Robert tucked him in, and he even dared to lightly give him a kiss on the forehead, before heading toward the door.

“Robert?” Aaron said quietly. Robert spun back around as he reached the doorway. “Will you stay?” Robert hesitated.

“Maybe I shouldn't tonight,” he said giving it a thought. “I don't want to push you, and mess this up.”

“Shouldn't I be the one to decide that?” Aaron asked, sitting back up.

Robert knew that Aaron was right, but still felt unsure. He went back to the cabinet, and pulled out a pillow and blanket, holding them up. “I'll stay on the floor,” he announced, before dropping them both on the floor and slipping his shoes off.

Aaron watched him and then said, “Robert?” Robert stopped and looked back at the other man. Aaron pulled back the other side of the blankets on the bed, exposing the empty side of the bed, closest to Robert. Robert looked at Aaron for the longest time, who looked back at him unwaveringly.

Robert slipped in the bed beside Aaron, trying his best not to touch him, giving him as much space as possible. And then they both turned out the lights. Robert could see in the darkness as Aaron laid his head down on the pillow staring up at the ceiling, Robert wanted nothing more than to do the same. But he couldn't stop himself from just staring at the other man, afraid that if he blinked Aaron would just disappear. He was actually quite glad that Aaron had asked him to stay because if he had gone back to Vic's now he wouldn't have gotten any sleep, he would have just spent the whole night pacing the house and keeping everyone up. At least here he would still be awake, but he could at least be here if anything went wrong again.

After a little while Aaron began to nod off, and as he did he rolled over slightly, leaning into Robert. Robert felt the need to get out of the bed and go along with his original plan to sleep on the floor to give Aaron as much space as possible. But Aaron flung one of his arms across Robert, making Robert not want to move and awake the sleeping boy. He instead slipped an arm around Aaron, enabling Aaron to rest his head on Robert's chest if he wished. The night had not gone nearly as Robert had hoped, and he held no promise for the future, but for now he felt happy that he was at least able to be there for Aaron.

 


	9. Part Nine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I told someone that I would have this up yesterday. But I totally didn't lol.  
> But here it is. 
> 
> Almost done by the way. Thanks for everyone who's been reading :)
> 
> If anyone has any other story ideas they want me to write let me know, this is fun. Also come check me out on tumblr http://idstillhavehimbackinashot.tumblr.com/ :)

 

Aaron

 

The next morning Aaron woke up to an empty bed. He rolled over expecting to find Robert there, but was sad to find only a cold pillow. His legs stung with the reminder of what he had done the night before. He felt like he deserved the sting, but he also knew that was wrong.

He pulled off his pyjama trousers just to see how the cuts were doing. Robert had bandaged them up well, they were warm and red, but soon that would change. Over top of all the cuts Robert had left Aaron a message. “I love you,” he had written in capital letters, taking up his entire thigh. On his other leg Robert had rubbed off where he had written “STOP”, though Aaron could still see it because he had traced it all over in cuts. Underneath the red Robert had written another message, “I called your councillor.” And he left an appointment date and time. Aaron wrote it down on a notepad near his bed. He had intended to do this also, but he appreciated that Robert was looking out for him.

As he got dressed he found a few other messages also. Little ones on different areas of his body. “Sleep well” on his index finger. “I miss you” on the inside of his left foot. “Lunch?” On his wrist. And then “I have a meeting with my lawyer. I'm sorry I couldn't stay,” on his forearm. Surrounded by a number of drawings where Robert had most likely gotten bored at said meeting.

Aaron smiled, the past couple days had been a real low point for him. Not his lowest for sure, but dealing with losing Robert was a lot harder than he expect.

He rolled out of bed and started to get dressed. He pulled his shirt off, and saw a couple more messages. “You look good when you're sleeping” “I hope today is a better day for you” where scribbled across his chest. “Please don't feel like you need this” was written over top of his previous scars. And then on his shoulder was just a heart. A simple coloured in heart. Sometimes it was hard to remember that Robert was a romantic because he tried to have that hard man routine down, but he was for sure a sap.

Aaron grabbed a pen from on top of his desk and doodled a little heart below it, and scribbled “Yes” underneath his invitation to lunch. In his wildest of dreams, when he was a stupid young boy, beating Paddy up and denying himself from happiness, he never expected this. He never thought anyone could replace what Jackson, or even Ed made him feel, and he never thought he would get this far. It was a mess, the whole situation, even now, but this here was forever if they wanted.

 

Aaron stumbled down the stairs, finding his mother and Diane in the kitchen finishing up discussing dinner specials. Diane smiled at him as she walked past him back to the bar area.

“So...” Chas said, standing up from the kitchen table and walking over to lean on the counter as Aaron approached the kitchen to come get himself some cereal. “So... I noticed Robert stayed over,” she said prying.

Aaron rolled his eyes as he slipped past her and pulled out his bowl. “Yeah, he came over and we talked.”

“Everything's alright with you two then?” she asked, trying to sound casual. “Tell me to mind my own business love, but I still think he's bad news.”

Aaron leaned against the counter opposite her, crossing his arms, putting a pause on his breakfast making. “You might be right. But I don't know, he's not that bad. And I've got to at least give it a shot, don't I?”

“What happens now then?” Chas asked.

“What do you mean?”

“He stayed over, so are you together then? Or where is it going?” Chas reiterated.

Aaron paused, he didn't know to be honest. They had discussed it slightly last night, but it wasn't anything official. “We're figuring it out,” he said instead.

He left the cereal and walked back past his mother and out the door. He wasn't quite sure what it was, but something had begun to irritate him, and he was no longer hungry. He started walking down main street, wanting to blow off steam.

An hour later, he appeared at Butlers, asking Adam if he needed any help at the farm. He was half an hour late to work, Cain had texted a couple of times, but he ignored it. What could Cain really do, Chas was still making him play nice since what he'd done at the barn. Instead he put on overalls and followed Adam out to the stables.

Together they hurdled bundles of hay, and mucked out the mess from the cows. Aaron worked in silence, occasionally Adam would look over at him concernedly, but he wouldn't say anything, he just let Aaron stew.

“You know mate, whatever it is, you can talk to me,” Adam eventually said when they stopped for a brew. Aaron was following Adam back into the kitchen. They both pulled off their overalls and stomped into the kitchen. Moira was out, potentially with Cain in town, and they had the whole place to themselves for a bit. Adam walked over to the kettle and filled it with water, while Aaron slumped himself down in a chair.

“Well, it's Robert, isn't it,” Aaron said, confirming what Adam had already been thinking. “We started out great, we had this soulmate bond thing and we were able to just talk and say everything. And now it's kind of just messed up. He was never going to leave Chrissie. How do I know he really wants to be with me?”

Adam pulled two cups out of the cupboard and threw a couple tea bags in them. “Robert's a confusing guy, that's for sure. Vic's gone on about how he's never really stayed with anyone before... but maybe this times different, you know?” Adam shrugged. “Isn't it worth a shot at least?”

Aaron sat back in his chair, staring off. They had wanted to start over last night, and Robert was great with him when he needed him. He didn't seem to judge him, and he opened up to him without Aaron even asking—which is more than Aaron could say he'd done. And Robert did have a good excuse for the reason he was the way he was. If Aaron could relate to anything it was terrible parents.

“What time is it?” he asked Adam, looking around for his phone.

“Noon, why?” Adam asked, handing a cup to Aaron.

Aaron took it and sipped quickly, burning the inside of his mouth. “Thanks for this, but I have to meet him for lunch.”

Adam nodded and smiled, “I'm glad. And, mate?”

“Yeah?”

“Just tell him, that you're nervous about this, you know? Don't let it eat you away. He seems good, deep down in there somewhere,” Adam said as Aaron headed toward the door. He nodded a thanks and walked out.

He walked down the driveway, kicking stones and thinking about how Robert felt lying next to him last night. He had curled into him with ease, it didn't feel rushed or wrong. It just felt right, like he was supposed to be there all alone. It was a feeling he had felt with Robert since they'd started together. He hadn't been able to explain it before, when they were just an affair because they barely knew each other, but now that he understood it, he could look back and see that it made sense now.

 

Robert

 

Robert sat in his meeting bored out of his mind. He and Chrissie and Lawrence were having a meeting about the business. Obviously, Lawrence had fired him once he'd found out what Robert had done. But Robert was trying to get something out of it, and Chrissie. They had been together long enough that they couldn't just do that.

But he had made the meeting before spending the night with Aaron, so once he got here and sat in the chair across the table from Chrissie he immediately regretted it. He hadn't said one thing all meeting. He had just let Rakesh talk it all out for him while he doodle and wrote little messages to Aaron under the table. He knew it was slightly childish, and Aaron might think he was lame, but he felt the same kind of excitement he did when he was younger. It was a new thing for him, to be with someone who just made him happy—and it really worked. He didn't even care that he was living in his sister's spare room, and that he had no job prospects, as long as Aaron kept wanting him around nothing else mattered.

 

At the end of the meeting they all broke apart, deciding they would continue the discussion a different day. Robert's side was winning so the Whites didn't want to “give up so easily”. Robert still didn't particularly care, he was just doing it to see what he could get.

Lawrence came up to Robert while he lingered sitting at the table, staring down at Aaron's response to his invitation to lunch. “You look too happy,” Lawrence said, he towered over him as he stood above him. He had a look of disgust and dissatisfaction on his face. “Stop it.”

Robert wiped his smile off his face—not because Lawrence asked, but because he was there.

“You know, my Chrissie is heartbroken and that's all down to you,” Lawrence told him, subconsciously raising himself taller. He was enjoying being able to tower over Robert and make him uncomfortable.

Robert stood up and evened the playing field. “I think she's probably doing just fine on her own. She always did just like parading me around anyway.”

“And you loved it,” Lawrence said. “You used her.”

“Maybe I did,” Robert responded. He hadn't meant to, not at first. But now, looking back on it, the difference between how he felt the multiple years he was with Chrissie, and the few weeks he's been with Aaron is like night and day.

“You know he's never going to satisfy you,” Lawrence told him. “You're going to get bored, you're going to miss the money, and you're going to do the same thing to him as you did to my daughter.”

Robert shook his head. “That's where you've got it wrong Lawrence, Aaron and I had a bond. A soulmate bond. Chrissie and I never had that.”

Lawrence laughed in Robert's face, getting taller once again. “Having a soulmate bond is only the beginning, the initial indicator. Having that bond won't stop the fact that you are a snivelling, conniving, selfish little boy who ruins everything he touches.”

“I don't have to listen to this,” Robert said, backing away. He turned and walked toward the door. He had to meet Aaron soon, and he didn't need to deal with Lawrence or his daughter and longer than he had to.

“You know I'm right Robert,” he called after him. Robert continued walking, but he could still hear him. “You are going to mess this up like everything else. You think you're happy now, but one day that pathetic mechanic isn't going to be enough and you will have nothing like you deserve!”

 

Robert walked into the Woolpack, seeing Aaron sitting at the far end of the bar. Aaron was just sitting on a stool fiddling with a coaster. He was ripping it up and tearing it into little bits and piling it all up. It was cute actually.

He walked over and sat down next to him, and they both just smiled at each other for a few minutes before Victoria came over to take their order.

“Look at you two, so have things worked out for you two after all?” she asked, looking between the two of them. She had asked Robert several times over the coarse of his stay at her house what he was going to do about Aaron, whether he was going to get back together with him or not. The only problem was she was just pushing because Aaron was one of her best mates, she wasn't thinking about the whole picture. Lawrence was right, and Robert knew it, he was going to mess it up. He already had because he was afraid, and he didn't really feel any less afraid. He had just been pushed into this situation, but he still cared what everyone else was thinking.

“Vic, mind your own beeswax, and grab us a couple burgers please,” Robert said making a face at her.

She raised her eyebrows and put her hands on her hips. “Well at least I'm not the one that stays out all night without telling his sister,” she shot back before stomping off to the kitchen.

“She's not too happy with you,” Aaron laughed.

Robert smirked, “No surprise there.”

“You're not half bad,” Aaron teased, elbowing Robert.

Robert laughed. He liked being here, with Aaron. Already he felt a lot better than he had this morning with the Whites. He wanted to just take Aaron and go back and hide in his bedroom. But even there he wouldn't be able to hide from the pang of guilt in his stomach.

“Aaron... we've got to talk,” Robert said, standing up. Aaron followed suit but he looked nervous, probably because Robert's expression had changed and he wasn't sure how to react. Robert walked through the back, passing his sister in the kitchen, and Chas in the back room, and heading out the back door to the empty laneway.

“What's up? Did I do something?” Aaron asked.

“No, never,” Robert responded quickly. “It's just... me. I--”

Aaron cut him off, and began talking over Robert. “Rob—I was talking to Adam this morning, and he made me realize I have to tell you something. I hope it's what you're getting at.” Robert stopped in his tracks, letting Aaron go on. He stood in silence, wanting to touch and hold Aaron. They both had big cow eyes, full of confusion and hope. “I don't like talking about this stuff,” Aaron restarted, walking over to the fence and leaning against it. “Feelings, and stuff. But I'm nervous about all this stuff... you, and the bond, and forever. You know? I always mess stuff up. I punch people, and I beat them up, and I scare them off. I want this to work.”

Robert didn't know what to say. He walked over to Aaron and leaned next to him, their shoulders touched as he moved closer. Their arms were both warm and it felt good being this close to him again.“Aaron, I mess stuff up too. I never do any of this right, and I always cheat or lie, or do whatever I want. But this time, all I want in the world is to stay with you and spend all night writing messages to you about nothing and everything,” Robert shared.

“I want that too,” Aaron said, with a smile. Robert could see the strain on Aaron's face, and he knew it was on his too. Neither of them felt they were any good at this, but Robert thought it was going a lot better than he had originally planned.

“Today Lawrence pointed out to me how much I had used Chrissie, and how selfish I am. And I walked over here knowing he was right. Aaron, this is your chance. You never asked for any of this, you deserve someone so much better than I will ever be, someone easier than all this,” Robert said, crossing his arms, and ducking his head trying to make himself small.

Aaron looked over at him, and reached his arm up over Robert, putting it across his shoulders, pulling him in closer to him. “I don't want easy, I want this. I want messed up with you forever.”

Robert leaned into Aaron's shoulder, he needed this. “You promise?”

“I promise,” Aaron said back.

 


	10. Part Ten: Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't be more sorry that this has taken me so long to post. To be honest, I had no idea how I wanted to end it, so I just kept procrastinating, and getting busy. But it's here at last, and it's done. No more waiting :)
> 
> Also, if you didn't notice, I've been watching a lot of The Office (American version) lately...

 

Epilogue

 

“You're late,” Aaron wrote, as Robert ran out of Vic's house. She and Adam ran out behind him bickering to each other over who was to blame. Robert ignored both of them, panicking about having to meet Aaron looking like an idiot.

Aaron and Robert had been together for two years now. They had bought the Mill last year, and Aaron's younger sister, Liv, had come to live with them. They had recently begun fostering a little boy. Last night, the kids had both stayed at the Woolpack with Chas while Aaron had rein of the Mill for the night. He said he had something special planned.

“I know,” Robert wrote back while he ran. “There was a mishap. I'll explain when I get there.” It was very difficult to write while he walked, he almost regretted not just calling him, but Aaron and Robert were very into the soulmate bond. It was like this quiet little thing they had. A lot of their relationship had become very public, after Robert and Chrissie broke up, she and the Whites liked to just appear in all their business and make a mess of it. So of course it all became one big show, and neither of them—Aaron in particular—liked all the attention. They found that doing this made everything a little more special.

After watching people around them do it for so long, it was nice for Robert to finally have someone to write to. It was nice to be wanted, really wanted by someone else. Ever since his mum had died, he just felt like a burden to everyone around him, but coming back here, to this town he never wanted to see again, and finding Aaron... that was the best thing. And they had put so much hard work into this day, he wanted it to be all perfect, and then this morning while he was floating on cloud 9 his little bit of perfection got ruined.

 

Aaron waited nervously outside the pub, looking around anxiously for Robert. He was supposed to have been here nearly an hour ago. Everyone in the church was getting very restless and hungry and Aaron didn't know what to say to assure people, but he hoped Robert could get his butt over here quickly. Liv had already come out to tease him twice that he was being jilted (and Aaron almost started to believe her).

A few moments later Robert finally made it, followed closely by Vic and Adam. They found Aaron sitting on top of one of the picnic tables, sipping a pint. “What are you doing you idiot, you can't get married if you're drunk,” Victoria said, running over and taking the pint away from him as she and Adam ran inside.

“Am I? Getting married?” Aaron asked, standing up as Robert walked over to stand in front of him.

“Of course you are,” Robert said, shoving his hands in his pockets, looking sheepish.

“You look terrible,” Aaron noted, nodding his head toward Robert's shoulder. It had a rip in it, as did his pant leg. “What happened to you?”

“My idiot sister and her husband.” Robert shook his head. “Adam was supposed to pick up my suit last night from the dry cleaners, because he was the one that dropped it off so late. But of course he forgot. So we had to go run and get it this morning. And then we get back to theirs and saw that one of the seams had gotten loose, so Vic insisted she could fix it. But then she and Adam started to bicker because he disagreed and thought we should take it to Diane. And in the end it ripped,” Robert sighed. “And then I thought, ok this is fine, we can still fix this... and then I fell down the stairs and ripped my pant leg too.”

“Oh Rob...” Aaron tried to stifle a laugh while still trying to look concerned. “Why didn't you come by the Mill and pick up a different suit?” he wondered.

Robert shrugged. “I didn't want to ruin the surprise you had.”

Aaron smiled, and felt a little bad. He knew how perfect Robert wanted everything to be today. Between this and the Mill, he didn't think Robert had been more designer crazy. For a couple that was very minimal, Robert still wanted to put a lot of effort in.

Aaron grabbed Robert's hand and pulled him toward the back door and into the living room. Robert followed willingly, though very confused. Aaron left him by the door, and walked over to a drawer in the kitchen, pulling out a pair of scissors. Robert furrowed his brow, even more confused. “Aaron, I feel like cutting up my suit more won't really help the situation.”

Aaron shook his head. “Not yours.” He held his tie out and cut off half of it. “There. Now we're both a mess.”

Robert just stood there with his mouth open. He didn't know what to say. “You didn't have to do that. We didn't both have to look terrible.”

“Yes, I did,” Aaron responded. “None of this has been easy. We may be soulmates, but we're also both messed up. So if you look terrible, I want to look terrible too. We're in this together. I meant it when I said I want messed up with you, forever.”

Rob smiled, walking over to his fiancee and hugging him. He got that same feeling he did when he first met Aaron, there was something about that would always draw him to him. Aaron was the greatest person Robert knew, and he always knew what to do to make Robert feel better.

“Promise?” he asked, as he did two years previously.

“Promise,” Aaron answered. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

“So, should we go do this?” Aaron asked, cocking his head toward the door. There was music playing loudly from the pub, and the sound of chatter amongst their conjoined families. In there was a history of battles, and love, and fights. But they all came together to see them get married today, and there was nothing Rob wanted to do more. He nodded, Aaron took his hand, and they walked in together.

They found everyone up out of their seats, sitting around the buffet. It turned out that while they were in the back preparing themselves, Victoria had run in and grabbed out the food for everyone. Even she couldn't bark them all into place. “We were hungry!” Chas demanded, standing behind the bar handing out drinks with one hand, and shoving some sort of pastry into her mouth with the other hand.

Jacob, their foster son, came running up to them, running straight for Aaron and clinging onto his legs. Aaron bent over and picked up the little monkey and squeezed him tight in a hug. Liv followed quickly behind him, as she was supposed to be watching him for the service. “What happened to you two?” she asked, looking at Robert's ripped suit and Aaron's tie.

They looked over at each other and smiled. Robert put and arm around Aaron's shoulder, and pulled him in close. “Nothing, we're just as we should be,” he said, before reaching out and pulling Liv into a hug as well. Aaron felt warm, happy to be surrounded by his family.

 

After everyone had settled back down, Harriet called everyone to order and they were able to finally have the service. Liv was the flower girl with Sarah, and Jack helped Jacob carry the rings up to them when the time was needed. Once the whole thing started it went off without a hitch. No drama, no one barging in the doors. Just the two guys getting married.

And then before they knew it everyone was back to drinking pints and stuffing their faces.

Near the end of the night when everyone was stumbling home and Chas was ready to close the bar, Aaron and Robert came over and wished her a goodnight and thanks for everything (including taking care of the kids for another night). “You have a good time, you two. Especially you Robert,” she said, with a wink. She knew what Aaron had been planning, and that worried Robert a little bit—he wanted to be in on the secret. He was usually the one doing the planning and scheming, and though he appreciated the work they were putting into this and he loved being spoiled, it was very strange not being in on the loop.

 

Outside the Mill Aaron made Robert close his eyes, which he did hesitantly. “What do you have planned?” Robert asked curiously. He was getting quite excited at this point. “Please don't tell me Bob is in here with those strippers again?” Aaron just laughed. “That better be an agreeing laugh,” Robert warned as they wandered through the door and walked into the living room. Robert felt streamers as he walked through the doorway and he started to laugh.

“Okay, you can open your eyes,” Aaron instructed, having run around Robert and sat down on the edge of the couch, so he could see Robert's face when he saw it all.

“Vegas?” Robert asked. Aaron nodded looking super excited. He had decorated the whole place the same way he had decorated the pub earlier in the year. Robert had tried to surprise Aaron with a trip to Vegas earlier in the year for his birthday, but it had been interrupted. The day before they were meant to leave they got a call asking if they were available to take in a foster child. And of course they couldn't turn that down, they wanted to take care of a kid—more so Aaron than Robert, but after meeting Jacob and bonding with him, he knew that it was the best decision they had made.

“I called the airline and the hotels, and I was able to reschedule our trip. So now, your surprise didn't go to waste... Instead of a birthday trip, it will now be a honeymoon trip!” Aaron said. Robert grinned so hard, he couldn't believe it. “We're gonna do the whole thing, casinos, gambling--”

“Cirque du soleil?!” Robert asked, excitedly. Aaron was still as enthused about that idea as he had been the first time Robert had suggested it, but he politely nodded and laughed. He was just so surprised that Robert didn't think it was lame. He was worried that Robert wouldn't like it because he had basically just stolen his idea, but Aaron had felt so bad that they hadn't been able to go earlier in the year, and he wanted them to be able to do something exciting, and far away for once. All of their holidays had been small and in the area. They needed to do something special for their honeymoon.

He watched as Robert played around with the roulette table, and decks of cards. “Can we keep this stuff up for a while, or do you think Jacob will swallow the balls?” he asked, looking up at Aaron. Aaron smiled, he loved how good of dad Robert was becoming. He used to be so selfish and careless, but Robert had really come into his own over the past couple years. Aaron was so happy they had done all this, and they hadn't just given up. He remembered being so mad at Cain for making Robert come out, and spilling their affair, and he was mad at himself too. But looking back on it now, none of this might not have even been here if that hadn't happened. Thinking about Robert staying with Chrissie turned his stomach. Having Robert around was everything he needed, they really were meant to be together.

“Rob?” Aaron asked, still watching his husband. He got up from the couch and started inching back toward their spiral staircase. “Do you want to see the other part of the surprise... upstairs?”

Robert left the roulette table behind and followed very closely behind Aaron, already reaching to pull off his suit jacket and what was left of his tie.

Upstairs Aaron had laid out rose petals all over the bed and the floor, and there were dozens of candles waiting to be lit. Robert looked over at Aaron with shock, this was not Aaron's style at all. “I know, it's really cheezy, and tacky,” Aaron said, looking at it with a look of disgust on his face. “But I figured, you only get married once... might as play it up, you know?” he shrugged, while Robert continued to look at him. He loved looking over at his husband, and seeing him trying to cover up his romantic side. It was like when they went out for a picnic once, and Aaron hated the idea of it, but once he got there he was so happy. Robert could see that now, Aaron hated the idea of this romcom stuff, but he could see in his eyes, he was actually really happy. It could have been Robert rather than the rose petals making him happy, but it didn't really matter. They were there, and they were ridiculously happy for once.

“I love you, Mr. Sugden,” Robert said, leaning over and kissing Aaron.

Aaron smirked and responded before kissing him back, “I love you, Mr. Dingle.”

 


End file.
